Lotus Blossoms and Other Musings
by Yahboobeh
Summary: Thanks to Nairil for the cover art! Collection of one-shots. Part 19: It had been clear from the start that he was the source of her nightmares.
1. Introduction

_1\. Introduction_

* * *

Tenten wiped her hands on her pants, trying to rid her palms of excess sweat. Her eyes darted across the structure of the Hokage's tower.

She wished Neji had come with her.

Naruto had brought her hero to the village to become the fifth Hokage and now Tenten was finally going to be able to meet her, to serve under her.

Her chest fluttered and she felt dizzy. What if Tsunade didn't like her? What if she didn't respect her skills?

She would never admit it to her teammates, but her pride was still wounded after her loss to Temari of the Sand in the Chunnin exams.

Tenten knew that you only got one chance to make a first impression and she wanted to make sure hers was perfect.

But what type of impression would be perfect?

Tenten doubted that swooning over the new Hokage would be impressive. After all, she had always found herself pointedly unimpressed by the way Lee fawned over their sensei.

Tenten wanted to avoid being like Lee as much as possible.

And Lee got his inspiration from Guy, so she knew that looking for mature qualities in her sensei was pointless as well.

And then there was Neji.

She admired him greatly and felt that their friendship had really progressed since they first joined Team Guy.

While she had always respected him, she was glad that Naruto had knocked his pride down a few pegs. He was much kinder now. And as cute as she had found him in the academy, his newfound attitude was starting to stir other feelings in her chest.

She wasn't sure if having a crush on your teammate was a good idea.

And she wasn't sure if his composed silence would be impressive to Tsunade either.

But if she met somewhere in the middle between Lee and Neji (well maybe more like Neji than Lee) she should be able to make a friendly enough impression while commanding the respect she felt she had earned as a ninja.

She had practiced different conversations in her mind all the way from the training grounds to the center of town.

She didn't know why Neji felt training to be more important than this, and he knew she was Tenten's hero. She silently cursed him, missing his support.

She knew that his calm demeanor would have radiated over to her and helped her keep her cool.

She wiped her hands on her pants again, suddenly feeling the heat of summer on her back. Her collar tightened around her neck and she noted that her brow was sweaty as well.

She should go home and freshen up.

But then the door opened and Naruto came bounding outside, a trail of people behind him.

Anxiety bubbled in her stomach. She was going to meet her hero as a sweaty nervous wreck.

Maybe she could slip away…

"Tenten!"

Naruto bounded up to her side, grin plastered over his face.

"Look who I brought back!" He stated proudly, pointing to her hero. "The Old Lady is going to be our next Hokakge! Can you believe it?"

Tenten's breath caught in her chest as Naruto's words faded out. In the center of the group was her idol, the woman she aspired to be like.

Her long low blond pigtails flowed softly beside her and her very presence commanded the attention of everyone around her.

Tenten suddenly felt very childish and… _inadequate… _when her eyes fell on the new Hokage's chest.

The Hokage approached them and she heard Naruto's voice again.

"Old Lady! Old Lady! This is Tenten!"

Tenten bowed low and waited for instruction, sneaking a glance up at her hero's face. Her skin was smooth, her makeup perfectly applied. She watched her coat trail as she strode up to Tenten, who had suddenly realized she had been holding her breath.

"Rise Tenten." Her voice commanded authority and Tenten trembled under the strength and beauty of it.

She straightened up, nervous about meeting her gaze.

Now was her chance. The moment had come. Her first impression. She was being introduced to her idol.

She wondered if it was going well.

An awkward silence hung in the air and Tenten realized that perhaps she should say something before Tsunade walked away.

But she'd lost her voice.

"Uh…" Her voice croaked awkwardly and her face heated up, a blush rising onto her cheeks.

_Say something Tenten!_

She finally found her voice and cringed as the words squeaked out of her, hoping they sounded calm and collected to everyone else.

"Welcome to Konoha, Hokage-sama. Please let me know if there's anything I can do for you." Tenten bowed again, before rising up and bravely making eye contact with the woman.

She nearly fainted when she saw a smile quirk on Tsunade's lips. Did she do a good job? Had she completely embarrassed herself?

"It is good to meet you, Tenten," her heart soared, "I look forward to working with you."

"T-thankyouTsunade-sama." The words blurted from her lips, she'd lost her cool.

"Tell me, Tenten," the Hokage continued, "these two seem intent on taking me around town to show me what has changed since I last left." She leaned into Tenten's ear, as if to whisper a secret to her. "Do you know any good gambling houses?" Tenten stiffened, unsure of how to respond.

"T-Tsunade-sama!" Her assistant had heard the request and balked at her. "She is only 14! You cannot expect her to know that!"

Tsunade leaned back land laughed.

"Of course I was joking, Shizune!" But she winked at Tenten before turning to leave. "I'll be seeing you around Tenten."

Once her back was to her, Tenten let her jaw drop.

She wasn't sure, but it seemed to have gone smoothly.

It _certainly_ wasn't the introduction he had anticipated.

* * *

**A/N: **Trying a 100 theme challenge to help break up my other writing. I keep getting stuck with writers block and I thought this might help.

Expect it to be all sorts of writing. Happy, sad, and everything in between. Please review!


	2. Love

_2\. Love_

* * *

Tenten always thought she knew what love was, but every time she fell in love again she found herself surprised.

She hadn't realized how many types of love a person could be in.

When she had been a **child**, she knew she loved her parents, they were her protectors. Her mother had given her life and nurtured her, catering to her every need, while her father was her rock. He protected her from all of the monsters that clung to the shadows at night. Her father would shoo them out from under her bed and always leave the door cracked with the hall light on, just to make sure they stayed at bay. Tenten called it his _"monster-no-jutsu."_

When she was **six**, her father brought home a stray kitten he had found while on a mission in the Hidden Rain. The kitten had been injured and she watched in awe as her mother delicately cleaned and wrapped an injured paw. Tenten had taken the kitten to her room and laid in bed with it, stroking him lovingly hoping she could provide as much comfort as her parents provided to her.

She stroked the kitty's ears and cast her father's _"monster-no-jutsu"_ for the kitty and wrapped him up in her blankets. She fell asleep next to the kitten after deciding that she loved him.

At **eight**, Tenten's father gave her a dull kunai to play with, showing her how to hold it properly and explaining the importance of weapons to a ninja. Tenten decided she loved the feel of the tool in her hand, the way it sat heavily in her tiny palm, the way the coolness of the steel seemed to coax the heat from her, the way the flat edges all slid together into a fine point, and the way she could twirl it around her finger (after much practice).

She would practice stances and slashes with her father and when she had been exhausted by her efforts, he would take her inside and show her how to polish weapons.

Tenten found the art of polishing very soothing and practiced with her kunai night and day.

Tenten had **always** been in love with the beautiful Princess Tsunade. The stories her father would tell her about the legend filled her with awe. Tenten decided that one day she would be just as strong as the princess.

She took this inspiration with her to the academy, where she expanded on the skills her father had taught her.

She knew that becoming a ninja would be difficult, not to mention the work it would take to become legendary, but Tenten loved her classes (especially the ones on weaponry) and worked hard to perfect her chakra control.

At **twelve** Tenten joined Team Guy.

Their first meeting after graduation was on a shady balcony overlooking the village. Tenten sat nervously between her two new teammates while her new sensei pranced around before them congratulating them on being in the peak of their youth. His green spandex clung to him in ways Tenten did not like.

To her left, _Rock Lee_ sat perched on the edge of his seat, eyes shining with inspiration. Something told her that Lee was very impressionable and she wouldn't be surprised if he decided to don a set of green spandex. She hoped she was wrong.

To her right sat _Hyuuga Neji_, leaning back easily in his seat looking unimpressed. She sensed that their sensei's antics were annoying him.

He made her doubt herself. She knew he was the top performer in their class and worried that her short comings would only irritate him further.

"Ok! Dreams! Tell me!" Guy was eager to learn about them.

"I don't want to answer."

Well, that set the mood. Tenten frowned at Neji's comment.

"Oh! Oh!" Lee clung to the edge of his seat with one hand, waving his other in the air furiously. "I want to become a strong ninja without being able to use genjutsu or ninjutsu!"

Tenten smiled, he had a good dream. Next to her Neji chuckled, obviously finding Lee's dream preposterous. She watched the conflict unfold between her two teammates, suddenly embarrassed to share her dream.

"Enough!" Guy shouted at the two boys and then pointed to her. "Tenten!" She blushed, being caught off guard and stammered out her dream.

"I want to be the legendary kunoichi Tsunade-sama!"

That was a dumb answer. She had meant to say she wanted to be _like_ Tsunade. Not _be_ her. Obviously she couldn't _be_ her.

She waited for Neji to ridicule her as he had with Lee, but he didn't. Lee seemed happy for her and Guy praised her goal, rattling off a few facts about Tsunade.

Their chat continued, Guy tossing out questions, Neji refusing to answer most of them and Lee falling even further in love with their new sensei.

Tenten squirmed, feeling the presence of the three guys suffocate her. She was nervous and overwhelmed. Part of her wondered if she should go back to the academy, but she knew that would be a step backwards in her dream. No matter how uncomfortable she felt, she would have to press forward and deal with her new team for the sake of her goals.

Tenten frowned.

She did _not_ love her teammates.

When Guy taught her how to summon through scrolls, she decided that perhaps he wasn't so bad.

Sure, he was weird. And, sure, he had showed a clear favoritism of Lee, but she admired his efforts in helping her become more like Tsunade.

When she realized that her physical strength couldn't quite rival that of her teammates she began to focus more on her summoning skills.

She remembered how much she had loved the kunai her father had given her and now that she was a ninja, storing weapons only seemed natural to her.

She spent much of her time practicing with her scrolls and expanding her proficiency with a variety of weapons.

The first time she bested her sensei, Tenten decided that she loved weapons.

Tenten didn't start to really love her team until Gai asked them about the Chunnin Exams.

She had expected Lee and Neji to be gung-ho for the test (as she initially was) but was surprised when Lee admitted that he didn't think he was ready. And then Neji floored her by passing on the opportunity as well. He could have left the academy as a Chunnin and he had decided to wait.

It seemed to her that he had grown to like them.

Tenten decided to wait too, realizing that the exams would be nothing if she wasn't with her teammates.

It was that day that she viewed her team as a family.

And she decided she loved her new family.

Even though she now loved her team, she still wasn't always sure what to think about them.

At age **thirteen**, more often than not, they began to split into pairs to do their training. Lee would always chase after Guy and she and Neji would be left together to spar.

He helped her plan strategies with her scrolls and weapons and eventually he confided in her some of the secrets of the Byakugan, eventually even revealing his blind spot to her. She helped him train to work around his blind spot.

Just before the exams, her familial love for Neji began to shift. To what, she didn't know, but she found herself jittery whenever he asked her to train. She didn't mind when his gentle fist met their marks because she enjoyed the way her nerves fired wherever his hands met her body.

Her chest had ached the first time he showed her the curse mark on his forehead and explained to her what it meant. She couldn't believe what he had been through and how he continued to push forward. She began to understand his standoffish attitude when they had first joined Team Guy almost two years ago.

That night she had gone home and cried.

By the time they entered the Chunnin Exams Tenten knew that she was best friends with her teammates. She loved them each in their own way and knew she would do anything to protect them.

When she lost her battle to Temari, they both treated her as she needed them to. Lee stuck up for her to Temari and Neji gave her the space to cry alone that they both knew she needed.

She had always expected that they would pass as a team and felt that she had let her team down.

She worried that she wasn't strong enough for them and that they would view her differently than before.

Lee remained optimistic, even in the face of his own defeat, which pulled her out of her depression, and Neji requested she help him train for his fight with Naruto, knowing that it would help her move forward and become stronger.

Neji requested she help him perfect a new technique he was working on, kaiten.

He wanted to start right away, not daring to return to the compound to rest after his fight against his cousin. Tenten hadn't seen the fight, but she had heard about how Hinata had almost died. She wasn't pleased with how far he had pushed his cousin, but she knew why he had and she did not question him when he asked to stay on her couch for a few nights. She knew he'd realized what he had done and although he would never admit it, he was scared to go home and face his uncle.

The morning after returning from the forest of death, Neji woke Tenten early to start his training.

She grumbled, her body still aching from her fight, and crawled out of bed before following him to their training grounds.

They were only an hour or so into their training before they were interrupted by his uncle, Hiashi. He was head of the clan and Hinata's father. His stance was calm and powerful. The look he gave both of them sent shivers down Tenten's spine.

Tenten watched, horrified, as Neji was punished for what he'd done to his cousin. When the curse mark was activated she cried out in anguish with him - pleading for Hiashi to stop.

When he left, she comforted Neji, trying to soothe away the pain by massaging his temples and blocking the light from his eyes with a dark cloth. Resting his head in her lap, she instinctively pressed a kiss on his forehead, as a mother might have done. She caught herself too late, freezing as her lips left his brow. Tenten blushed and stammered out an apology. Neji did not push her away or call her out. He merely clung to her wrist, holding it against his face, silently telling her not to leave.

Tenten let herself relax, and began to run her fingers over his forehead again, while he clung to her, silently letting his cool mask break apart underneath her.

When he trembled from the pain, on the brink of tears, she kissed his forehead again.

That day, at **fourteen**, Tenten fell in love again.

* * *

**A/N:** Kinda corny. Please review, let me know what you think. :D


	3. Light & Dark

_3\. Light_

* * *

Tenten sighed when she opened her eyes. The sunlight always seamed to slip thorough the crack in her curtains, no matter how she fiddled with them.

She hated when the light spilled between them. It meant that night was over and that she would have to pretend for another day.

She pulled the blankets over her head, blocking out the oppressive ray, hoping she could squeeze in a few more minutes of sleep before starting her day.

The mattress shifted next to her as he rolled over.

Strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her close. She rolled into them. Poking her head out from under the blankets, she met his pale eyes, a smile on his lips.

He chuckled before peeling the blankets back to expose her face. She met his smile with her own.

"Good morning," he whispered.

Tenten wiggled closer, planting a small kiss on her lover's lips.

"Morning Neji," she sighed the words pleasantly against his lips.

She felt him brush a stray lock of hair away from her face before watching his eyes meet the slim beam of light that trailed across the bed.

A hand darted out from under the blanket and she caught his chin. His eyes deserted the light and fell back onto her. She kissed him again, hoping to make him forget about the beam.

When he rolled on top of her, deepening the kiss, she clung to him, happy that her plan seemed to be working.

Their tongues twisted together for a brief moment before he pulled away, looking down at her, his hair falling in thick strands around them.

Tenten's breath came in slow, shallow pants, eyes locked onto his.

"I don't want to get up," she confided.

"I know," he admitted, "but we promised we'd meet Lee and Guy at 8:00 to train."

Tenten frowned, turning her head to the window, studying the beam of light.

They had kept their relationship a secret up until now, sharing their affection under cover of night. Tenten hated when the nights turned to mornings and she had to continue to pretend that the man lying on top of her was nothing more than her teammate.

As if sensing her discomfort, she felt him press kisses against her cheek and neck, causing her to sigh contentedly under him.

She let out a soft moan and ran her fingers across his back, trailing down to trace the edge of his boxers. She slid a finger in the hem and ran it over his stomach. She grinned when he squirmed at her touch. But he quickly caught her wrist and pulled her hand away, pressing it gently into the bed next to her head.

"Later," he cooed, much to her disappointment, "we'll be late if we don't get up now."

"Fine," she gave in. Once he knew the sun had risen it was impossible to keep him in bed.

He kissed her again before lifting himself off of her. "I'll make us some coffee." She nodded and let him leave.

Sighing, Tenten sat up and let the day claim her.

* * *

_4\. Dark_

* * *

Everything about their relationship happened under the cloak of darkness.

The first time they held hands it had been at night. They had been ambushed while they were resting, during a mission.

Lee had been on the watch when Neji was torn from his sleep upon hearing Lee call his name. He was up in an instant, rolling away in time to see a kunai plant itself where his head had been. Right away, Neji assessed the situation, byakugan activated, Lee and Guy had already branched out around the campsite trying to find their attacker.

Tenten was sitting straight up where she had been sleeping, hand clenched tight around a kunai, trying to determine where the attack was coming from.

He saw an array of shuriken coming towards her and made his move, darting across the campsite, pulling her with him, just dodging the attack.

He gripped her hand tightly as they took refuge in the branch of a nearby tree.

They sat in silence, neither daring to speak while his byakugan scanned the area.

He noted how the heavy haziness of sleep still clung to her, lingering in her eyes. It occurred to him that she had yet to let go of his hand, and for some reason, he didn't mind, knowing that as long as he had her next to him, she was safe.

Spying the enemies he turned to her, bringing his lips close to her ear before whispering, "50 meters south west." She nodded. They both parted ways, her following his directions while he moved east towards another enemy.

When she let go of his hand, he felt incomplete.

**~o0o~**

Neji tried to keep his eyes on the fire while they rested. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't keep from looking over at Tenten.

She snoozed silently, slouched against a tree, blanket falling off of her.

She had come close to drowning in Kisami's water prison. She was okay, but he couldn't forget the feeling he'd had when he'd caught her, happy that she was still conscious, but not quite ready to let go of her yet.

Before she had dozed off, she had whispered her thanks to him again. He noted her proximity to him and the way that she looked up into his eyes.

He still wasn't sure how to place his feelings about her.

When no one had been looking, she pecked him on the cheek, his reward for saving her life. Neji had been unable to make heads or tails of the situation. Surely she had meant it as a friendly gesture, nothing more than a way to tease him by making him uncomfortable.

But he couldn't help the rush that tore through his body when her lips fluttered against his cheek. And just as quickly as it had happened, it was over and she sent him a cheeky grin before crossing the campground to make herself comfortable by the fire.

He had wanted to stop her, to keep her from leaving, to catch her by the wrist and pull her into his embrace where he would return her kiss passionately.

But the moment had passed, and he was left confused and flustered, trying to make heads or tails of his feelings.

One thing he knew for sure, was that she liked to tease him. Perhaps she was just playing another one of her games?

Either way, he had decided that he liked it.

**~o0o~**

The months that followed her peck were tense for Neji. His cheek still burned in the spot her lips had rested and he couldn't help the way his eyes seemed to find them whenever she spoke.

Sometimes, when she wasn't looking, he would catch himself eyeing her curves. Whenever he realized what he was doing he'd look away quickly, trying to reel in his thoughts before they strayed too far.

They had finished their training late into the evening and Tenten had invited him over for dinner.

They sat across the table from each other in her small kitchen, having just finished eating. Conversation was lacking and his eyes were wandering, taking in his surroundings before landing on the protrusions in her shirt. He found himself wishing her shirt was tighter… _or off…_

"Neji!" She'd caught him.

His eyes snapped up to meet hers. She had a blush stained on her cheeks and her arms came up to cross over her chest, hiding her breasts from him.

"Yes?" He kept his demeanor calm, as always. He'd be damned if he'd let her find out what he'd been thinking about.

"Pay attention! And, my eyes are up here!" She sent him a glare.

"I'm aware of where your eyes are," he responded, "why would you feel the need to remind me?"

He'd flustered her and she stammered a retort, losing her usual whit. "You know why, Neji! You were…" She lost her voice.

"Looking somewhere I shouldn't have been?" She blushed harder and he leaned over the table, shrinking the distance between them. "I had hoped after all of our years together you would have thought better of me."

"I did! Until now!"

His eyes narrowed. "Don't make accusations unless you've got proof."

He watched her uncross her arms, cursing himself as he did. His eyes lingered for just a second, but it was a second too long. He met her gaze, feeling himself flush.

"I think I can get all the proof I need." She retorted. Standing up she walked over to him and looked down. His face was level with her chest. She was testing him further. Neji kept his eyes locked on hers. Her hand ran over her chest, resting on one of her buttons. He heard it snap free and swallowed hard. What was she doing?

The second snap screamed in his ears and she leaned over him, shirt loose. Keeping his eyes on hers was more difficult than he had expected.

Tenten brought her face close to his and he noted the way her torso twisted and how her shirt fell away from her collar.

He felt her press the clothing into his hands before pulling away and walking out of the kitchen, her back to him. It was now that he let his eyes run down her back, naked except for the blue bra that contrasted perfectly against her skin.

"I guess you pass," she called back to him. "I'm going to take a shower, catch you later."

He looked down at his lap, where her shirt lay crumpled in his hands. He rubbed the fabric between his fingers before standing to leave.

He folded the shirt neatly, inhaling the scent that clung to the fabric, before setting it on the coffee table and leaving.

**~o0o~**

The next time he looked they had been caught in a downpour on their way back from their training grounds.

They stopped when the skies opened up over them, soaking them instantly. Tenten giggled, sighing. Neji smiled at her, enjoying the sound of her laugh. The rain cooled their hot skin. The light from a nearby street lamp made her glow. He noted the way the wet fabric clung to her chest and how the darkness of her bra contrasted with her white shirt. Something came over him.

He stepped forward, closing the gap between them and her giggles stopped, the twinkle in her eyes turning to shocked curiosity. Before he could stop himself he leaned in and heard her gasp briefly before their lips met.

He kissed her deeply, pouring all of his desires into her. He was shocked when she kissed him back instantly, their hands finding each other. Neji pulled her in close, feeling her breasts press into his chest. He heard a soft moan squeak out of her and decided it was his favorite sound. He kissed her deeper, darting his tongue into her mouth, enticing more shy moans out of her.

They stood there, in the rain, for another minute, unable to part from each other.

When they finally did part, he noted confusion and desire radiating off of her. She shivered in his arms. From the rain or his presence, he wasn't sure.

* * *

**A/N: **Hope you guys liked this. Light is way shorter than Dark but I enjoyed writing from two different perspectives and mixing up the timeline a bit. Please let me know if you enjoyed it by dropping a review!


	4. 4:29pm

**A/N:** Thought I should let you guys know that this chapter contains mild recreational drug use, so I've decided to post two chapters today for those of you who opt not to read this one you still have something to read. For those of you who don't care, you get two chapters! Please review!

* * *

_4\. 4:29 PM_

* * *

Tenten was hungry. It was a deep, unyielding hunger that tore through her body.

She pulled all of the cabinet doors in her kitchen open, finding nothing that could satisfy her. Finally her eyes settled on a slim can and she grinned, plucking it from the cabinet. _Cheese Whiz._

She snagged the sleeve of crackers next to the cheese and skipped back into the living room.

Planting herself on the couch, she crossed her legs and spread her snack on the coffee table in front of her.

The packaging crinkled as she struggled to open the crackers. Once they were free, Tenten grabbed one and took the cap off of the cheese. Slipping her tongue out between her lips, in concentration, she began to draw a cheese flower on her cracker.

Once she was satisfied with her work, she smiled, and popped the cracker in her mouth, relishing the salty flavor.

This continued for either another minute, or another hour - Tenten wasn't sure - with the TV humming softly in front of her.

Every now and then the TV would distract her and she'd sit, cracker in hand, mouth hanging open before a giggle tore through her.

She was watching cartoons, fascinated by the childish antics. With a grin permanently spread across her face, Tenten fell into the pattern of being absorbed by her crackers and by being absorbed by the television.

After an undetermined amount of time she heard a knock at the door and looked up as Neji let himself into her apartment.

He stood in the doorway, waving his hand through the air briefly, as if something was blocking his path, before shutting the door behind him. In his other hand he had a shopping bag.

"Enjoying you day off, I see." A smirk played across his lips and Tenten realized what he had walked into.

She was still cross-legged on the couch, half a cheese pyramid formed on her cracker, cartoons dancing in front of her. She looked up at him expectantly.

"I take that as a yes." He crossed the room and cracked the sliding door to her balcony open. "Jeeze, Tenten, at least crack a window. It's smoky in here."

"Someone might find out!" She said, smile still plastered on her face.

Neji scoffed at her.

"Doubtful."

She watched his eyes trail to the coffee table, where she had worked her way through the entire sleeve of crackers.

Next to the empty wrapper sat the source of her hunger, small glass pipe, packed snuggly with a sticky green herb. His eyes fell next on the can of cheese.

"Hungry?"

She laughed. "Neji! Don't be mean!"

He chucked. "I'm not being mean."

"You are!" she whined at him, sliding out a pout. He chuckled again which forced her pout to turn into a laugh.

Neji crossed the room again and sunk into the couch next to her, setting his bag on the ground.

Leaning forward, he plucked the pipe off the table and found a lighter nearby. He brought the glass to his lips and lit the herb, inhaling deeply. He passed it to Tenten who took it and followed his actions.

Together they passed the pipe back and fourth, feeling their minds soften, as the earthy smell of marijuana smoke filled the room.

When the bowl was depleted and Tenten's high returned (after having eaten it away) they both sat in silence for a few minutes, leaning lazily into the back of the couch.

Neji rolled his head to look at Tenten and when she met his gaze she laughed. "Something funny?" She shook her head and laughed again. He chuckled. "You sure?"

"Don't be mean, Neji."

"I'm not being mean!" He laughed. Tenten crossed her arms and pouted.

"Meanie." Neji just sighed and looked back at the television. Eventually he felt a light pressure and warmth on his shoulder and looked down to see her head pressed against him. She began to talk. "What do you think Lee would do?"

"Hm?"

"Lee."

"What would he do if what?" Tenten sighed, exasperated. Sitting back up, she looked at Neji.

"If we smoked him up!" Tenten threw her arms in the air, as if to exaggerate on her point, not understanding why she had to spell it out for him.

"I'm not sure I care to find out."

"But do you think he'd calm down?"

"Maybe."

"Neji," she was whispering now.

"What, Tenten?"

"We shouldn't."

"Get Lee high?" She nodded, he agreed. "No, we shouldn't."

"Neji."

"What?"

"Don't tell anyone."

"Don't tell anyone what?"

"About this!"

"About how we sometimes smoke weed on our days off?"

"Shhhh!" Neji laughed at her and leaned in close.

"I'm going to tell everyone." A smile played on his lips.

"Nooo!"

"Fine," he said, "But only because you asked so nicely." He loved teasing her when she was like this.

"Neji, don't be mean."

"Or what?"

"Or else!"

"Sounds scary."

"Ugh!" She crossed her arms, frustrated, and he laughed again.

He leaned in close and Tenten noted the way he smelled of weed and incense. She enjoyed the smell and then his lips brushed against hers.

They fell into silence, only the sounds of cartoons and kissing filling the room. He pushed her back into the couch, laying on top of her.

Tenten felt light headed and couldn't help smiling as his lips brought her pleasure. Her high numbed the shock of their first kiss and she felt her legs instinctively tangle around his, hands roaming over his back.

He kissed her jaw and neck next and she knew she could lay underneath him all day while he overwhelmed her with his touch.

Eventually, Neji pulled away, sitting up. Their heads were hazy and their clothes and hair unkempt from the make out session.

Tenten blushed and sat up. Neji cleared his throat. They sat in silence for a few more minutes before Tenten finally broke the silence.

"I'm hungry."

Neji smiled knowingly. "Of course you are." He leaned over the edge of the couch to where his bag sat. He pulled out a container of Oreos and Tenten's mouth hung open in a wide grin.

She threw her arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Neji you're the best!" She took the cookies from him and opened the package. She twisted one apart and licked at the frosting.

She nuzzled up against him, as he draped his arm over her shoulder. They ate the cookies in silence, content.

When the cookies were gone her arm snaked around his waist and she hugged him. He pressed a kiss on top of her head.

"Stay the night?" She whispered, afraid of his answer.

"Sure."

She smiled and squeezed him tighter before pulling away and sitting up. She proceeded to pack another bowl when they both turned to the kitchen after hearing something sizzle. Neji stood up and walked into the kitchen to investigate. It seemed to Tenten that he was taking forever. As if on cue, Neji emerged from the kitchen with two cups of tea.

"You let the kettle boil over."

Tenten furrowed her brows, accepting the warm mug.

She didn't remember making tea.

* * *

**A/N:** Hope you guys enjoyed this. Drop me a review and let me know!


	5. Night

_5\. Night_

* * *

The shower was lukewarm at best. Tenten grumbled knowing she would have to rush washing off the grime from three day's travel.

Part of being a ninja meant enduring, but everyone had their limits and Tenten's was cold showers.

Still, the prospect of being clean was too tempting to pass up. So, reluctantly, Tenten grit her teeth and scrubbed herself clean as quickly as she could.

As soon as she massaged the shampoo into her hair the last remaining hint of warmth left the water. She stepped out of the stream, frustrated and shivering.

She had run from the Leaf to the Sand without rest and had one night to recover before the Chunnin Exams continued and she couldn't even get a hot shower!

Tenten tilted her head back into the, now, icy water and rinsed out the shampoo. Reluctantly, she massaged in her conditioner before quickly rinsing off the soap from her body. She yelped under the cold water and quickly retreated. Deciding not to wait for the conditioner to soak in, she rinsed it out and shut of the shower.

She stepped out, shivering and angry, and quickly wrapped a towel around her before tearing out of the bathroom to face her teammates.

"You two!"

Lee and Neji looked over at her from the small table in their room. Lee had a deck of cards and was trying to talk Neji into a game.

Both men were freshly showered and the reason behind her discomfort.

Lee popped up from the table, looking ridiculous with a towel wrapped tight around his hair like a turban. Tenten noted how completely and utterly unnecessary it was for him to do that.

"What's wrong, dear Tenten?" Asked Lee.

"You used ALL of the hot water!"

"I'm sorry! There was hot water left when I got out," Lee pondered, as if the lack of hot water was a mystery to him.

"You should have let me shower first! I am a lady, after all!" Tenten sent them both a glare. "And take that towel off of your head, Lee! You look ridiculous!"

He frowned at her.

"But Guy-sensei-" He was interrupted by a kunai. It flew into the towel, pushing it off of his head. His hair was still wet and stuck out at odd angles.

"And you," she turned her attention to Neji now, "you took the longest shower!"

He sat at the table, arms crossed, unfazed by her accusation.

"It takes me longer to wash my hair." She noted his long hair, still damp from his shower. She suspected he'd never had the misfortune of a cold shower before.

"So I have to freeze?"

Neji leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table, eyes narrowed, mulling over his response.

"You might be warmer if you put some clothes on."

Tenten blushed, suddenly realizing how she had presented herself. Beads of cold water trailed down her legs and her wet hair clung to her shoulders. She shivered, tightening her grasp on the towel that protected her nakedness from her teammates.

She grunted, irritated, at Neji before turning back into the bathroom and shutting the door with a little more force than necessary.

She pressed her back into the door and sighed.

She pulled the towel off and began to pat herself dry, before folding in half, hanging her head and rubbing the towel through her hair, soaking out the moisture.

She expertly twisted it and flipped it over so that she was now wearing it up in the fashion she had just chided Lee for.

She reached over to the pile of clean clothes she had brought into the bathroom and pulled on her underwear.

Next she applied fresh deodorant and dotted a small amount of perfumed oil on her wrists and neck, making sure to hit the pulse points.

The light flowery scent rose to her nose and she smiled, relaxing. Just because she was a ninja didn't mean she couldn't be feminine.

Next she reached for a loose fitting tank top, preparing to get dressed before the door swung open. Panicking, she covered her breasts with the shirt and yelled.

"Lee! What the hell are you doing!"

Lee blushed and turned his back to her.

"Tenten, I wanted to apologize for using all of the hot water!"

"Wait until I get out of the bathroom then!"

"R-right!" Neji appeared next to him, grabbing Lee by the collar of his shirt and pulling him away from the door.

"Do you even think before you act?" He scolded his teammate. "Why would opening the bathroom door ever seem like a good idea?"

Lee ignored him and looked over at Tenten again, she glared at him.

"Tenten! I see you've also used Guy-sensei's hair drying methods!"

"Get out, both of you!" She tossed her deodorant stick at them, but Neji had quickly closed the door, and the plastic tube bounced off the wood.

She dressed quickly after that, putting her shirt on first and then struggling into a pair of black leggings.

She pulled the towel off of her head and brushed out the knots before finally letting herself out of the room.

The first thing Tenten noted was Lee's absence before sitting down on her bed. She pulled her wet hair over her shoulder and slowly began to weave it into a loose braid.

She felt the mattress sink next to her but she didn't meet Neji's eyes.

"What ridiculous errand did you send Lee on?"

"I asked him to go get us some water and suggested that maybe Sakura might enjoy some as well."

Tenten tied off her braid with a hair elastic that had been on her wrist.

"That's not fair to Sakura," she teased, meeting his gaze.

"I figured you needed a breather." She noted the look in his eyes that suggested he had forgotten that cold showers gave her a temper.

"Then why are you still here?"

"Because I'm not Lee." Tenten giggled at his response.

"No, you're not. Thank God for that!"

"And I wanted to apologize."

"Oh?" She raised a brow at him.

"Yes. I should have offered you the shower before I got in."

"Yes you should have," she teased, pushing a finger into his chest, "and here I thought you were a Hyuuga and knew better."

He frowned at her truth. To be fair, though, she would often chide her teammates for either treating her too much like a woman or not enough and knew that Neji often opted to treat her as an equal, relying on her own independence. "It doesn't matter," she decided, "I shouldn't have been so grumpy. Thank you for apologizing."

"Of course."

Tenten looked down, their hands were close and she imagined him holding hers in his. Her fingers tingled and ached at the closeness.

"Are you nervous for tomorrow?"

Tenten didn't look up for his response, instead she kept watching their hands, listening for his voice. When she heard it, she shivered at the sound.

"No. We've done this before and we're much stronger than last time."

"You're right."

Tenten's stomach dropped when his hand moved towards her. It didn't envelop hers, as she had hoped. It, instead, caught her chin lightly. She let him pull her head up to meet his gaze.

Tenten felt dizzy and noted how close they were to each other. Her heart rate picked up and the scent of her perfume hung in the air.

He kissed her lightly on the lips, testing her reaction. She stayed perfectly still, noting the softness of his lips, and how perfectly they fit against hers.

She leaned into him as he broke their kiss, craving more.

She met his gaze with half lidded eyes, drunk on pleasure.

He smirked at her and she blushed.

"You're much stronger than you give yourself credit for," he whispered, still holding her chin.

When he let her chin go and shifted as if to leave, Tenten found herself clinging to his shirt.

She kissed him back, feeling his hand cup her head as they leaned into each other, deepening the kiss.

She left his shirt fisted in her hand, resting the other on his shoulder, while his free hand held her hip gently.

When Tenten leaned back, inviting him to lay over her, he broke the kiss.

"Lee will be back soon," he warned, stroking her check with his thumb. "Besides, we should rest for tomorrow."

Tenten nodded and watched Neji rise from her bed when they heard the doorknob turn.

He caught her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze before Lee entered with a pitcher of water for them.

Tenten sighed and leaned back into the sheets, reflecting on how busy their one night of rest had been.

She traced her lips with her fingers and felt eyes on her. A blush crept across her cheeks when she realized that Neji was smirking with satisfaction at her.

* * *

**A/N:** Don't quite like the ending, but whatever. I hope you just enjoyed it. Please drop a line and let me know!


	6. Summer

_6\. Summer_

* * *

Neji huffed in frustration, not sure how he was going to be able to get to sleep. It was a hot, humid, August night. The air was suffocating and his body seemed to burn as it radiated heat.

Sweat leaked from his pours, doing little to cool him down. Too hot to move or think, Neji stared at the ceiling, thinking about colder places. It wasn't helping much.

A fan hummed softly next to him but it provided little relief and did not prevent the way the sheets clung to him.

When he wasn't looking at the ceiling, he would look at the clock. The time passed by slowly. _9:45… 10:15… 10:23… 10:27… 10:42… 11:07… 11:11… 11:39… 11:58._

As the clock rounded midnight, Neji realized that sleep was inevitable.

Huffing again, he sat up, peeling himself off the sheets, and retreated to the bathroom.

Once in the bathroom, Neji twisted his hair up and secured it on the top of his head with a clip before turning on the sink.

He washed his face with cold water and ran a cloth under the faucet, soaking it, before placing it on the back of his neck.

His body seemed to cool down instantly and he sighed in relief.

A bead of cold water slid down his spine and he shivered, welcoming the sensation.

Although he was now more comfortable, he was still restless.

Neji turned off the water and slipped back into his bedroom, only to realize that he wasn't alone.

He found the intruder perched, casually, in his open window, leg dangling into his room, while she leaned back against the frame.

"What are you doing here?" he asked calmly.

"Seeing if you were still awake." He heard the smile in her voice and couldn't help but smile back.

Casually, Neji approached his teammate until he could make out her features in the dark.

She was dressed in as little as possible, no doubt, in an effort to keep cool. She wore cropped shorts and a loose tank top. Her hair was tied up in her usual buns and she was barefoot.

Her bangs were stuck to her forehead and her skin shimmered in the moonlight.

Still, she wore more than Neji, who had been attempting to sleep in his boxers.

Realizing his state of undress, Neji moved to his dresser to pull on a pair of shorts.

"Well, I'm awake," he continued, as he dressed. He felt her eyes on his back while he pulled on a thin t-shirt.

"Let's do something," Tenten suggested.

"Sure. What do you have in mind?" He returned to her side and removed the cold cloth from the back of his neck. He handed it to her and she welcomed it graciously, pressing it to her face and sighing. After a minute of enjoying the cold towel on her face she let herself speak.

"I don't know. I was thinking maybe we could go for a walk and see what's going on. I don't want to bore you, though."

Neji studied his teammate, wondering how she could ever think he'd find her boring. He enjoyed being in her presence more than he cared to admit. And even in the sticky, humid, heat that filled the room, he found himself inching closer to her, wanting to close the gap.

"A walk sounds nice."

She smiled and his heart palpitated.

Tenten handed him back the cloth and Neji set it on his night stand before pulling the clip out of his hair and following her out the window.

~o0o~

Tenten skipped cheerfully down the street, dancing around Neji.

"What's got you so excited?" He enjoyed watching her twirl around him gracefully and wondered how the heat hadn't zapped her energy.

She paused, in front of him, stopping him in his tracks. She flashed him a smile and grabbed his hand.

"I'm just happy that you were awake. I was bored and couldn't sleep. Too hot." She pulled him by the hand and the continued down the streets of Konoha. "Lets go!"

Eventually she let go of his hand and began peaking in shop and restaurant windows. Not many things were still open, but she enjoyed looking in the windows regardless.

"Lets find something to eat," Tenten suggested.

"Sure."

They took their time meandering down the road, peaking in more shop windows (Neji had to pull her away from the weapon's shop) and eventually Tenten pushed open one of the doors to a small convenience store. Neji followed her in. A bell rang as he pushed the door open and they walked past the counter where a middle aged woman sat, bored, fanning herself.

"They have shaved ice here," Tenten announced, as they crossed to the back of the store, tugging him along with her. She navigated them through narrow isles, packed to the brim with food and necessities.

They reached the machine quickly and Neji watched as Tenten filled two cones with shaved ice from the machine. Holding one in each hand, she turned to look back at him.

"What flavor do you want?"

Neji shrugged.

"You pick."

She went over to the selection of pump bottles, reading each flavor before selecting one for him. She took both cones in one hand and pressed down on one of the pumps three times, staining his cone with a red syrup.

She passed it back to him and he waited for her to finish her cone. She selected one pump of red, one of blue and one of purple. Neji couldn't help the tug at his lips as he admired her indecision.

When she was ready they went to the counter and Neji paid for their cones. Tenten had already began eating hers, digging in with a tiny plastic spoon, by the time they made it back outside.

"Mmm!" She grinned, savoring the flavor. "How's yours?"

They both looked down at his snow cone, untouched, and Neji dug his spoon into the ice and took a bite. It was cold, refreshing, and tasted like strawberries.

"Good," he admitted. "Would you like to go eat these in the park?"

"Yeah!" She continued to eat her snow cone as they meandered through the streets until the business district became more sparse and they eventually found a spot on the bank of the river to sit and eat.

Neji was surprised by the way she planted herself on the grass so close to him. The humidity was oppressive, and while he didn't mind her closeness, he was unsure why, on such a hot night, she would seek the warmth of someone else.

They fell into their comfortable silence, enjoying the sound of the river flowing past them.

Everything about this moment soothed Neji and he felt himself begin to slide into a meditative trance. He watched the river and listened to it as well as the sound of Tenten's breath and the way her spoon scraped against the ice as she ate.

Then, her voice broke the silence.

"Can I try yours?"

Without looking over, Neji tilted his cone towards his companion and held his breath when she leaned in closer. With one hand she held his wrist, for stability, and dragged her spoon over his snow cone, gathering a generous bite. Tenten popped the spoon into her mouth and let go of Neji.

"Mmm! Thanks."

"Hn." He wasn't very talkative (when was he ever?) but he kept quiet now for fear that he would sound nervous.

He was never nervous around her, but there was something about tonight that was getting to him.

Maybe it wasn't even her. Maybe it was the way the humidity seemed to suck all of the oxygen out of the air.

Maybe.

But probably not.

He was watching her now, she was finishing off the last of her shaved ice. He was staring blatantly, not thinking of the consequences of being caught.

She did catch him, and he found that he didn't care. Tenten met his eyes, looking almost confused. What she saw in them, he didn't know, but it made her gasp.

And then he was kissing her.

It was slow, deep, and passionate. She tasted sweet, like the blend of syrups she'd dressed her shaved ice in.

With his free hand, he cupped her chin, pulling her closer. She gripped his outstretched arm, clinging tighter when he found her tongue with his.

It didn't take long for Neji to toss his snow cone, so that he could touch her more. She must have had the same thought because now her other hand was in his hair, her fingers chilled from the cone.

When she leaned back, an invitation to lay back on the grass with her, the skies opened up.

They broke their kiss when the first few drops fell, untangling their bodies from each other. They both looked up to the sky and then at each other, trying to process what had just happened.

Even in the night, Neji could take in and relish all of her features. Her eyes were wide with passion and uncertainty, and her breath came in soft pants through slightly parted lips.

The heavy, fat raindrops fell with increasing frequency and Tenten looked to be as relieved as Neji felt when the humidity broke and the cooling rain came pouring down, drenching them.

Neji stood up and held out his hand. Tenten took it, and he pulled her up. But she had let the uncertainty (that he knew she'd been feeling after their kiss) wash away with the rain. Instead of using his hand as leverage to push herself off the ground, Neji found himself literally pulling her up.

From the ground she looked up at him with a cheeky smile and stuck her tongue out at him, teasingly. She had recovered and was back to her childish ways.

Neji could have retorted back with a joke, but he suspected that it would be very unwise of him to joke about her being too heavy to lift, especially if he wanted another chance to kiss her… and he did.

So, he pulled her up, saying the most neutral thing he could think of.

"Don't help or anything."

Bad choice. She let her body go limp, falling back to the ground, almost pulling him down with her. She laughed.

He frowned at her.

"Don't be so rude, Neji! Help me up!"

He tried pulling her up again, but she kept her legs limp, laughing the whole time.

After the third attempt, Neji was slightly irritated and dropped her hand. She scowled at him and opened her mouth to complain when he bent over, and wrapped his arm around her waist before hiking her up to her feet.

"Stay," he urged her, before he let go of her. He had silenced her laughter and he sensed her nervousness resurface. He smirked and was sure she was blushing.

The ordeal had left them out in the rain long enough to be throughly soaked. Sufficiently cooled off, Neji was ready to get out of his wet clothes and give a second attempt at sleep.

So, he began walking in the direction of Tenten's apartment, intending to drop her off before returning to the compound.

Realizing he was leaving, she ran to catch up. When she reached his side, he found himself lacing his fingers in hers.

She leaned her head on his shoulder and a rush of calm washed over him. He rested his head on top of hers and they meandered slowly through the downpour and Neji felt content.

* * *

**A/N:** There's like 4 feet of snow in my yard. I needed something to take my mind off of this freezing winter. Inspired by the Animal Collective song Summertime Clothes. Please review!


	7. Seeking Solace

_7\. Seeking Solace_

* * *

The first time that Tenten saw the Princess Tsunade (the woman she'd idolized all of her life) she was heartbroken.

The Chunnin Exams had been a disaster for all of Konoha. Her team had all lost their matches, Lee being hurt the worst.

Gaara had intended to kill Lee, who had been confined to the hospital ever since. No one was sure if he would ever recover from the way the sand had crushed his bones, but if there was anyone who could heal him, it was Tsunade.

There was a rumor that she'd arrived in Konoha, that Naurto and Jiraya had searched far and wide to bring her back.

Tenten was on her way to visit Lee and to see if Tsunade had examined him. (Honestly, though, she hoped that Tsunade would come in to examen Lee during her visit so that she could make a smooth introduction, but she felt terrible about her ulterior motives.)

The corridors of the hospital were silent, only the sound of Tenten's footsteps bouncing off the walls accompanied her to Lee's room.

She studied the tiles on the floor as she walked, noting the way the afternoon sun spilled across the floor through the open windows.

She was about to round the corner when she heard more footsteps and a conversation unfold.

Tenten halted at the corner, hearing pleading voice of her sensei as he groveled to the next Hokage.

"Please, Tsunade-sama! Look at my student, Lee! I am sure you can help him!"

Tsunade did not respond to him, she merely continued to walk with him down the hall.

Tenten heard their footfall's silence and a door open.

They stepped into Lee's room and Tenten waited another second before rounding the corner. She silently crept to the door, which had been left slightly ajar (probably in Guy's rush to have her attend to Lee).

Curiosity, worry, and awe got the best of Tenten.

She eavesdropped.

She leaned into the doorframe and looked through the gap, seeing Tsunade and Guy standing over Lee.

Her breath felt loud in her ears, preventing her from hearing their conversation, she held it and strained to hear.

"He will never be a shinobi. He needs to give up."

Tsunade's voice was not soft and pretty, it was stern and earth shattering. Anxiety dropped like a brick in Tenten's stomach and she felt herself flush and tremble.

_He needs to give up._

The words sat heavy. It almost sounded like a different language. She rolled them over her tongue, mouthing them silently, as if trying to discern their meaning.

Lee never gave up.

While she was processing how swiftly the woman she idolized had handed down such life altering news, Guy had begun to protest and beg for a possible solution.

"Please, Tsunade-sama! There must be something! _Anything!"_

Guy had bent down to his knees and held his hands out in prayer to her. Her arms were crossed and her eyes were closed. She had shut herself off from him.

And Lee… Lee didn't make a sound.

He stared at the floor, eyes unfocused, seeing past the tile, as he took in the news.

"Please!" She heard Guy's voice strain and break as he pleaded for Lee.

"There's nothing more I can do, Guy," Tsunade still refused to look at him. Perhaps her heart would ache, like the way Tenten's did now, if she saw Guy on his knees crying. "Please," she continued, "I have other patients to attend to."

Things seemed to move in slow motion for Tenten as she tried to process the information.

She saw Tsunade turn to leave and knew she needed to move, to hide, but her body was heavy and her legs were stiff.

And then the door swung open.

Tenten paled, shocked and humiliated that she'd actually let herself get caught peeping.

And now Tsunade, her hero, was standing before her, staring her down.

Tenten didn't know what to do. A mixture of broken words (mostly "I's" and "uh's") stumbled out of her before she resigned and stepped out of Tsunade's way, bowing low.

"Forgive me, Tsunade-sama."

She felt the new Hokage's eyes on her, taking in her form for what seemed like an eternity, before walking away.

Tenten let out the shaky breath that she had been holding as her vision turned watery. She took in a deep breath and willed the tears to stay in place.

She didn't have long.

As silently as she had come, she left, walking as quickly as she could. The last thing she wanted was to draw anymore attention to her.

The further away from the hospital she could get, the better. Visiting Lee could wait. She knew he needed time with Guy-sensei to work through what had just happened.

Even if Lee didn't need time, Tenten did. And right now she didn't have it in her to visit Lee.

**~o0o~**

The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and a gentle breeze drifted through the air.

All in all, Neji thought it was a nice day out.

He had woken up early enough and had a light breakfast followed by refreshing meditation session.

Now he was on his way to the training grounds.

Neji was eager to start his training and hoped that Tenten wouldn't keep him waiting too long. He knew she had gone to visit Lee to see how he was feeling and for the chance to see Tsunade.

Neji intended to visit later. He didn't visit nearly as often as Tenten did, he knew that Lee would be okay. While Lee wasn't his favorite person, he was his teammate and Neji had learned to respect Lee's hard work and determination. He knew that Lee would figure out a way to recover as swiftly as possible.

But Tenten was different than Neji. She had a tendency to mother Team Guy and most of her efforts went to watching over Lee.

Granted, she did keep her eye on Neji and their sensei, Lee was the most unpredictable of the bunch and she took it upon herself to try and keep him in line.

No doubt, she would visit him at least twice a day.

Neji would never admit it (not even to himself, if he could help it) but he harbored a jealously towards Lee in regards to Tenten. Sometimes, while watching her scold Lee, he wished that her attention was focused on him instead.

Whether he desired her attention in a motherly way or in a romantic way, he didn't know. He didn't like to dwell on it much. The last thing he needed was to complicate things with his teammate by discovering his feelings.

As Neji closed in on the training grounds he sensed her chakra signal and paused.

She was here first, he hadn't been expecting that.

But even her early arrival was less surprising than the soft, broken gasps that were being carried to his ears in the light breeze.

Neji waited until he heard the sound again, confirming his suspicions. He continued onto the training grounds, where he found Tenten sitting under a tree.

He frowned. She had her knees pulled to her chest, arms wrapped snuggly around them, and face buried. Her shoulders trembled and he heard her exhale a shaky breath. Her voice squeaked involuntarily when she exhaled and Neji felt his chest swell at the whisper of a sob.

Tenten was crying.

Neji crossed the training grounds until he was about ten feet away from her, where her irregular breathing caught him off guard again.

He stopped and watched her nervously. Shifting his weight from one foot to the other, Neji tried to figure out what he should do.

When her voice broke again, his feet moved automatically. Before Neji realized what was happening, he'd plopped himself down on the ground next to her.

He watched her stiffen when she noted his presence. She hugged her knees closer, not bothering to look up at him.

Neji contemplated what to do next. As much as he'd like to put his arm around her and stroke her back, it was not in his character to do so.

So, he sat awkwardly next to her, hoping she would start talking and explain herself, as girls tended to do.

A few minutes passed and Neji realized she wasn't going to start a conversation. If anything, she was trying to make herself invisible to him. Her body was stiff, but her frame still trembled slightly as if she was trying to hide her tears from him.

Neji didn't like that. If his teammate felt unable to open up to him than perhaps he was doing something wrong.

So he spoke first.

"Tenten."

She chose not to respond to him.

Neji bit back a sigh. Sure, she was upset, but did she really have to ignore him?

"Tenten," he tried again, "what's wrong?"

She recoiled from his voice and Neji felt himself growing frustrated. But just as quickly as it had formed, it broke when she sobbed again.

Putting his pride aside, Neji put his arm around his teammate and pulled her in close. He was a bit rougher than he had anticipated, his movements were more jarring and jerky than smooth and comforting.

Still, she accepted it and crumpled into his arms, crying openly now.

Neji blushed at her reaction and found his hands pulling her in tighter and stroking her gently as she let her sobs wrack her body.

She clung tightly to his arms and his shirt, head pressed against his chest, tears flowing freely.

She had basically crawled into his lap.

After several minutes of this, she finally looked up to him.

Her eyes were red and puffy, her cheeks were stained with tears, and her lips formed a soft pout, that Neji found particularly enticing. He was surprised to find that he wanted to kiss the pout away.

He restrained himself, this was not the time. She was vulnerable and it would be beneath him to take advantage of that.

Instead, he wiped her cheeks dry with his thumb, and held her chin gently.

"Are you ready to tell me what's gotten you so upset?" He asked, softly, meeting her gaze with his own.

She sniffled and nodded. He waited for her to to speak. When she did, she started off with a shaky breath.

"I met Tsunade-sama," she started.

Neji frowned. What could have happened to result in this? Tsunade was her idol and she had reduced Tenten, his strong, confident teammate, to tears.

"She-she," fresh tears leaked from her eyes and Neji caught them with his thumb. "She told Lee to _give up_." The second part of her sentence came out as a whisper.

"What?" Neji was shocked. Tsunade was supposed to be the greatest medical ninja in the world.

"Guy-sensei _begged_ her to do something, _anything_ and she turned her back on them. And-and then-" More tears fell. "I-I was listening in at the door… And she opened the door and caught me peeping."

Tenten returned her head to Neji's chest and he felt her shake in his arms again.

"Not only did my hero let me down, I mortified myself in front of her… and Lee! What will Lee do?!"

Neji stroked her back and her hair, resting his chin on top of her head.

"Lee will be okay," Neji decided, "When was the last time you saw him give up?"

He felt her shrug against him.

"There is probably more to the situation than you heard. His injuries are very serious, even for someone like Tsunade-sama to treat."

"But why did she tell him to give up? Why wouldn't she try her best?"

"I don't know. Perhaps Guy-sensei can enlighten us."

He felt her slowly calm down.

"I humiliated myself in front of her," Tenten whispered.

"And do you intend to let that stop you from pursuing your dream?"

Tenten stiffened and pulled back from his chest, meeting his eyes. He waited for her answer.

"No…" She sounded unsure.

"I hope not," Neji retorted, "Or else you are not the person I thought you were."

Her eyebrows furrowed. It was a poorly worded complement, he couldn't deny that, so he decided to explain further.

"Tsunade-sama may have inspired you, but she did not make you as strong as you are, you did that yourself."

Tenten blushed at his comment.

"Tsunade will be our Hokage, we are going to have to work with her. You need to show her that you will not let this affect you and she will come to respect you and your skill. If she is half as great as they say, she will realize how strong and passionate you are."

Tenten let a weak smile cross her lips before she enveloped him in a hug.

Now Neji was the one to stiffen, feeling her warmth envelope him. He tried to ignore the softness of her breasts pressing into his chest while she whispered her thanks to him.

He hugged her back, letting himself enjoy the sensation. He wasn't one for physical contact, so he did not anticipate allowing a repeat performance, and somehow, he suspected Tenten knew this as well.

So they sat together, tucked in each others arms, both silently willing the hug to never end.

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks for all of the kind reviews for these! I've got a couple more ideas so expect some more updates sooner than later! Also, if you have an idea, feel free to pitch it!

This idea was pitched to me by Aquarius Galuxy after reading my very first chapter and wondering how Neji would react if her first meeting with Tsunade went poorly.


	8. Fireworks

_8\. Fireworks_

* * *

"Alright guys, lets do nails first!" Ino planted a basket on the table in front of Tenten, startling her. Ino began to unload it in a hurry.

Bottles upon bottles of nail polish made their cameos.

The rainbow was composed of seven colors. Tenten thought Ino believed otherwise.

Twenty (or so) bottles of polish later, Ino distributed other manicure supplies, including but not limited to: cotton balls, emery boards, acetone, top coats, base coats, cuticle creams and oils, pokey sticks and rhinestones.

Tenten looked to Hinata, who was eyeing the array of color options, and then to Sakura, who had already claimed a bottle of "one-track-mind-blue." The color was not one Ino would approve of for a summer festival, but it reminded Sakura of the blue shirt Sauske used to wear and thus was appropriate for her heart and her toenails.

Ino sat down next to Sakura and slowly the bottles began to clink and scrape across the table as each of the girls attempted to make a selection.

Tenten felt overwhelmed by the colors and flabbergasted by their names.

"Towel-boy-toy, sun-of-a-peach, chills-&amp;-thrills, mucho-dinero, mind-your-mittens, using-my-maiden-name, starter-wife, keepin-it-teal, secrets, sex-on-the-beach, VII, dune-our-thing, history-of-the-world, and white-on-white," just to name a few.

"Who the hell gets to name these?" Tenten wondered aloud as she eyed a bottle of "pink-le-promise."

"Someone with a cooler job than me," retorted Ino. "Now pick a color and get painting. We don't have much time before the festival and we've got a lot to do before we're ready!"

Tenten rolled her eyes. She had hoped to be able to toss on a yukata and call it a night, but Ino had suggested they make a day of gossip and get ready together.

Tenten had decided to attend when she realized her only other option of social interaction would be training with Lee. It became apparent to her that she was in need of some girl time.

After paring down to colors that would match her yukata, Tenten settled for "lilacism" and "smokin-hot." Lilacism was arguably more lavender than lilac but it accented the light purple flowers of her yukata nicely. Smokin-hot was more mauve and Tenten liked the idea of alternating the colors on each finger. And so she painted five fingers purple and five fingers mauve. She used the same alternating pattern on her toes.

Sakura painted ten nails "I-pink-about-it" and ten toes "one-track-mind."

Ino went all out with "bottle-service" pink and accented each ring finger with a shimmery "108-degrees" glitter polish.

Hinata went with a classic "pouf-daddy" red for hands and feet.

They complained about boys, stereotypically, the entire time.

"Hinata," Sakura begged, "you have to take Naruto off my back."

"I-uh-ummm…" Hinata stammered and blushed "pouf-daddy-red."

"Come on, you can watch the fireworks with him!"

"Why do you want to unload Naruto? Are you eager to watch the fireworks with Lee?" Tenten teased.

Sakura frowned. "Please tell me you can keep him distracted, Tenten."

"I have to keep him distracted every day," she sighed, "I was hoping to have the night off."

"Sakura," started Ino, "hang out with me, Choji and Shikamaru! Bring Sai! He's cute and I want to watch the fireworks with him. Then you don't have to worry about dealing with Lee and Naruto!"

"She won't have to worry about Naruto," reminded Tenten, "Hinata's going to distract him." She winked at the Hyūga girl, who looked ready to pass out.

When their nails were dry, they styled their hair.

Hinata twisted hers up into an ornately braided bun (with help form Tenten), Sakura let Ino wave flowers into her hair, Ino curled her's into a low side ponytail and Tenten braided loose strands down to her ear before tying her hair in a loose side bun.

They all kept their makeup light and simple, knowing they would sweat off a heavy application in the summer heat.

When it was almost time for the festival, they all dressed in their yukatas.

Tenten felt like a doll, prim, proper, and ready to struggle to fulfill the unrealistic expectations set for women. All, in all, she expected it to be a fun evening.

Hinata struggled to hide her cleavage while Ino strove to accent it, making sure her breasts were round and peaking out of the folds of her outfit.

Sakura stayed conservative, her small apple breasts not interfering with the way the fabric stretched over her.

Tenten didn't think about how her breasts looked in her yukata, she just secured it comfortably and waited impatiently for the others to be ready.

She almost missed the guys. They wouldn't be getting ready together, but they were sure to meet up beforehand with a case of beer (Kiba was always able to convince his sister to get him some.)

If they hurried, Tenten might be able to find them.

But just as those thoughts passed through her, Ino shoved a bottle of sake in her face.

"Drink up! You know the guys will be!"

"With the exception of Lee." Tenten prayed out loud. They all paused to pray silently for his sobriety.

Tenten sealed her prayer with a swig of sake. The rice wine was sweet and tangy and she felt light headed when the liquor warmed her stomach. She passed the sake to Hinata, surprised when she accepted it and took a timid sip. The bottle went around the room, all four girls hoping to soften their nerves, worries, stresses, and minds.

When they'd relaxed enough to entice tipsy, drunk girl giggles they decided to head out to find the guys.

**~o0o~**

Sakura had convinced Neji to convince Naruto to spend time with Hinata at the festival.

So Neji went about convincing himself to convince Naruto to spend time with his cousin.

Eventually he and Naruto were convinced, though neither were particularly jumping for joy.

Not that Naruto didn't think Hinata was cute and sweet, she just wasn't Sakura.

Neji didn't like that Hinata came in second place. Although he also didn't like that she took an interest in Naurto much to begin with. Neji supposed he just didn't like much about the situation at all.

But that all turned into a burning rage when Naruto was showing off his stuffed frog wallet. Bragging about how much money he had saved, he opened it up to show everyone and a condom promptly fell out.

The small package was just barley noticeable to the others, but for Neji, they might as well have been raining down from the sky.

He scooped it off the floor and grabbed Naruto by the collar, pulling him in close.

"What the hell is this?" He held the small package up between them, glaring.

"Uh," Naruto gave a sheepish grin and scratched his head, "What's wrong Neji, didn't anyone ever tell you about the birds and the bees?"

Neji wanted to throttle him.

"Jeez, Neji, don't worry! It's not like I was planning on using it… It was just, you know, for…" he trailed off realizing there was no good way out of this.

"Even if you had not intended to use it, it would be inappropriate to have fall out in the presence of Hinata-sama." Truth be told, Neji was sure Naruto carried it around for the sheer possibility that a miracle would bestow itself upon him one day and Sakura would appear before him naked and willing. But Neji had a better shot at becoming head of the Hyūga clan. And Neji wasn't sure what he found worse, Naruto intending to use it on his cousin, or his cousin finding it and realizing he intended it for another woman. "Since you seem to be incapable of properly storing this, I will be taking it."

"Aw, come on man! What if I need it? Are you really going to do that to me?"

"Trust me," Neji growled, "you will _not_ need it."

Neji let go of Naruto and tucked the offensive item into his pocket.

He finished his beer and left to head downtown. The others followed his lead, however they also chose to mercilessly mock Naruto for being caught by Neji.

Lee met stride with Neji and asked about the condom with loud curiosity. Perhaps he needed one to woo Sakura?

Neji told him he did not.

**~o0o~**

Tenten found the guys easily, her three companions in tow. They were waiting for the girls in the park, finishing off the last of their beer.

Tenten wiggled her way in between Neji and Shikamaru. Neji passed his beer to her and she took a sip. Together they finished off the last of his drink, chatting with everyone about the festival.

Eventually the circle fractioned and they made their way downtown.

Tenten automatically followed Neji through the bright lights and festive music. She noted their separation from the group, but didn't mind. Some time away from everyone would do her good. After all, she had spent the afternoon primping and discussing the finer points of getting the most out of sex.

Tenten wandered silently through the streets, beside Neji, lightheaded and giddy.

They passed by dozens of colorful stalls with people offering games, treats, and prizes.

"Let's play a game," suggested Tenten, eyeing a kunai tossing booth.

"You can," said Neji.

"What? Afraid I'll kick your butt?" She giggled.

"Not at all, I just don't really care for festival games."

"You're no fun," she crossed her arms, "How'd I get stuck with you again?"

"Because I'm the most tolerable?" He raised an eyebrow, smirking at her.

"So they say." She winked and stuck her tongue out at him.

Tenten cheered as another balloon popped and her kunai sunk into the wall.

Both of them had the accuracy but Tenten had been faster, even popping some of Neji's balloons just to rub it in.

A few minutes later they were sitting at a small table enjoying tea and sesame dumplings, curtesy of Neji.

She was happy to have something to eat, the game had been fun, but the interactions they had with the guy running the stall had been painfully awkward. Tenten suspected it had to do with her intoxication level and relished the treat, enjoying the way it sobered her slightly.

Tenten squished the last dumpling between her chopsticks and stuffed it in her mouth, relishing the flavors that erupted out of the dough as her teeth tore the treat open.

Neji watched her finish eating, nursing the last of his tea.

"The fireworks are going to start soon," Tenten noted, placing her chopsticks across her plate.

"Mm." Neji poured the last of his tea into his mouth and swallowed the sweet, green liquid.

"Let's go find a place to watch!"

"Yeah, ok." Neji placed his cup down on the table and they both pushed their chairs back, the legs squeaking and scraping against the ground. They stood up and Tenten felt the alcohol again, her head fuzzy. She steadied herself on the table for a moment, regaining her composure.

When she looked up at Neji, he was offering his arm to her.

Even though the dizziness had been fleeting, Tenten welcomed the gesture, and anchored herself to his arm, leaning against his shoulder.

While offering his arm was not uncharacteristic of Neji, allowing Tenten to cling so tightly, and lean in so intimately was. Tenten suspected the beer had softened him just enough to allow her to push the boundaries of his manners and their friendship.

"I'm not drunk," Tenten murmured, as they strolled lazily down the street.

Neji didn't reply, he simply looked down at her with a raised eyebrow and skepticism written on his face.

"I'm not!" She protested.

Neji chuckled lightly.

"Don't most drunk people deny their intoxication?"

"Shut up, Neji."

"Where do you want to watch the fireworks?"

"The roof!"

"Which roof?" Tenten scanned the buildings and shrugged.

"I don't know, a good one. I can't tell which is good from down here."

"Can you even jump in that thing?" He glanced at the tightly wrapped skirt of her yukata.

"Maybe," Tenten let go of his arm and began to hike up the skirt. The sight was quite unladylike and fairly disastrous. She was able to gather the fabric up to her knees, but Neji suspected she still wouldn't be able to jump too well without being able to spread her thighs too far.

And he wasn't about to let her pull the skirt up any further past her knees. Without asking permission, Neji scooped her up and ran, jumping up to the rooftops of the village.

"Neji!" Tenten clung tightly to him, squirming with shock. "You don't have to carry me!"

"This is faster."

He searched around and found a secluded space on a small roof overlooking the lake.

Neji dropped her legs and she stood next to him, still holding to the shirt of his yukata.

Her head was dizzy again, but no the cause was no longer alcohol. Gathering her composure, Tenten let go of him.

"Thanks, Neji."

She smoothed her skirt back down and Neji held her hand as she sat down.

He sat close to her while Tenten eyed the location he had chosen. They were towards the end of town, where the buildings had begun to space themselves out. The view of the lake was serine, and Tenten knew that the fireworks exploding over it would be spectacular. The moon hung low in the sky and Tenten leaned back and studied the crescent.

Neji studied her yukata.

It fit her well, her obi hugged tightly around her narrow waist, nestled under her breasts.

The cloth was pale white and covered with an array of purple flowers. Her toes wiggled in her sandals and Neji noticed they matched.

His was dark grey with faint black pin stripes. Hardly anything worth admiring.

Lanterns swayed softly in the breeze and a few other ninja found their ways to rooftops while civilians parked on the grassy banks of the lake.

An early firework shot in the air and exploded over them. It was huge. The colors danced over them, reflecting off the water.

She turned to see if Neji was enjoying the view. Instead she met his eyes. She blushed, her breath catching in her chest.

Suddenly a tension filled the air around them and her eyes flicked to his lips. She found a smirk on them.

And then she felt the pressure of his hand on the back of her head. He pulled her in quickly and roughly and claimed her lips with his own.

Her firsts found the fabric of his shirt immediately and a soft moan whimpered in her throat.

The kiss wasn't sweet and romantic, it was heavy and needy. It was a kiss that belonged behind closed doors.

When his tongue sought her's out she felt a tremor between her legs.

Her fists loosened and she wound her arms around his neck, suddenly needing him closer. Neji leaned over her, dipping her back into the roof. She moaned softly and he ran his hands over the cloth of her yukata.

"Get a room!"

The kiss broke instantly and they turned to see Kiba nearing them on the neighboring roof.

Tenten could have killed him.

"I came looking for you guys to tell us we're all on the roof of Naruto's building to watch the show. But it looks like you two are content to watch on your own." He grinned wickedly.

Before either of them could protest, Kiba turned away and began heading back.

"Enjoy the show!" The words came out sarcastically, knowing full well that they wouldn't pay attention.

Tenten shot a glare at the back of his head, but he was gone and the bastard had ruined the moment.

Tenten now noted how close Neji was, and their proximity became awkward. Neji tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

A few more fireworks exploded over them.

He leaned in close to Tenten again. She could smell the mix of beer and tea on his breath.

When her fingers fisted around his yukata again she felt something stiff in the folds of his fabric.

"What's this?" She asked, feeling the fabric of the inner pocket on his chest. It felt like some kind of ring.

Neji caught her hand and pulled it away.

"It's nothing."

Tenten took that as a challenge. Neji wanted to hide something? Not on her watch!

With her other hand she slipped her fingers between the folds of his yukata and into the pocket.

He flushed when she pulled out the small square packet. Her eyes widened when she realized she was holding a condom.

Of course, Tenten didn't know it was Naruto's.

Suddenly Kiba's interruption was a thing of the past.

Neji's face was pouf-daddy-red before his name escaped her lips.

_"Neji!_ What on _earth_ are you intending to do with _this_?" She held it up in his face, one hand on her hip.

He gave her a look that said, with one hundred percent confidence, _I can recover from this._

"I took it from Naruto."

Tenten raised an eyebrow at him.

"Oh? Was Naruto handing out goodies? Do you all think it's going to be a good night?"

He leaned in to her, snatching the condom from her hand.

"I took it from Naruto because he is watching over my cousin and I found it in his wallet. It was not appropriate for an evening spent with Hinata-sama. And yes," he smirked, "I do expect to have a good night."

Tenten's breath hitched and the fireworks began to explode above them with increasing frequency.

She looked up to the sky, distracted by the sound. Neji kissed her neck.

She felt his hand dig through the folds of her own yukata until his fingers found her bare legs.

The loose fabric of their clothes hid his movements in the night and the only way to tell that anything suspicious was going on was to watch the way Tenten reacted as he lightly ran his fingers over her panties.

Her nipples stiffened against the starchy cotton that constrained her breasts and her core oozed desire.

Neji cruelly pulled his lips away from her neck and stared down intently at her, testing her reaction to his touch.

When he moved his fingers, her half lidded eyes fluttered and her chest rose and fell heavily as she gasped and panted with want. The fireworks roared in their ears as the blood drained from their heads.

**~o0o~**

The breeze blew, the birds chirped, the morning sun was warm, and last night, in his bedroom, Tenten had been naked.

However, Neji could not appreciate any of this during his meditation session because an obnoxious shadow had cast itself over him.

Keeping his eyes closed and his thoughts on the night, Neji addressed the shadow.

"What do you want, Naruto?"

"You know what I want," demanded Naruto. "Now that my date with Hinata is over, just give it back."

"Go buy another one, if you're so desperate."

"Or you could just give it back! C'mon man! I don't have any money for more condoms!"

"Maybe Kiba will spit a box with you."

"Damnit Neji! Give it back!"

"No."

"Why not?!"

_Because I used it._

"Because you don't need it."

"You don't know that!"

Neji opened his eyes and met Naruto's bright blue glare with his own.

"If you are suggesting that you are thinking of another woman not even 12 hours after your date with Hinata-sama-"

"Nonononononono! I wasn't suggesting that at all!" Neji smirked, inwardly. This was too easy. Neji narrowed his eyes further, to drive his point and make Naurto drop the issue.

"Then you are telling me that you intend to have intimate relations with Hinata-sama?"

"NO! I mean… Fuck! No, I wouldn't…"

"Sounds to me like you don't need it back." Neji closed his eyes again, trying to focus again on the softness of Tenten's skin and the way it glowed in the moonlight.

"Damnit Neji! You owe me a condom!"

"Whatever."

"You know, Neji," Naruto had a mischievous grin in his voice, which Neji did not like.

"What, you idiot?"

"You can just tell me you used it."

Neji's heart fluttered and his face flushed.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Kiba saw you making out with Tenten."

"Fuck off, Naruto."

Naurto chuckled and Neji felt the shadow recede and the sun warm his face.

His sandals scraped against the dirt as he began to walk away.

"Whatever, man."

Neji burned with frustration. If Hinata thought he'd let her go on a second date with that idiot, she was in for a rude awakening.

* * *

**A/N:** I hope you enjoyed reading this! Special thanks, as always, to Aquarius Galuxy for the inspiration (based around the idea off of the idea of "condoms raining from the sky," granted they didn't rain, the imagery was there haha!)


	9. Curry

_9\. Curry_

* * *

Neji grimaced as he watched Tenten trim the fat off of a raw chicken breast. Cooking was not one of his favorite activities and he was glad that Tenten hadn't asked him to handle the raw meat.

"Why are we doing this again?" Neji watched the way her knife cut into the pink meat, slicing off the unappetizing bits of white fat and connective tissues.

"It's Lee's birthday," she didn't look up from her work. When the fat was trimmed away she began to slice the chicken breast into small chunks.

"You already got him a gift."

"So?" She tilted the cutting board over a bowl and scraped in the chunks of chicken she had just cut. She stuck a fork into another breast and moved it from the packaging to the cutting board, repeating the process of trimming the fat and dicing the chicken. "Lee wanted curry for his birthday dinner."

"Hn."

Tenten stopped cutting and looked up at him.

"I made you dinner for your birthday," she reminded. She wiped her hands on a towel and procured another cutting board from a cabinet. She pushed it into Neji's arms and grabbed a second knife from her knife block. She picked up the onion that she had placed on the counter earlier and handed Neji the knife and onion.

"Lee is our teammate, so we're making him dinner. And he wants curry. So help me out by cutting this onion."

Neji sighed and put his newly acquired supplies on the counter. Neji began to peel back the skin of the onion, revealing the soft white flesh underneath.

He cut the root off of each end and sliced the onion in half. When Tenten was confident with his participation, she went back to slicing the chicken.

She smirked to herself, wondering if the onion would sting his eyes like it did hers. She suspected that even if it did, he wouldn't tell her.

The spent the next few minutes in silence, the only sound was their knives slicing into the flesh of their foods and scraping against the cutting boards.

Neji's knife clunked against the cutting board and Tenten looked up at him. His eyes were squinted closed and he was taking in a deep breath.

"Problem?" She chuckled lightly knowing exactly what the problem was.

"This stupid thing is burning my eyes."

She watched his eyes water and wiped her hands on the towel before guiding him to the sink. She turned on the cold water.

"Wash your hands, no soap." He gave her a questioning look and she rested her hands on her hips and nodded her head at the faucet. He complied and rubbed his hands together under the icy water, feeling no improvement.

He blinked back the tears that had welled to protect his eyes from the onions and finally felt relief.

He pulled his hands out of the water and Tenten handed him a towel before turning off the sink.

"Better?"

"Almost," he said.

"Almost?"

"Yes."

Tenten parted her lips to ask what was still bothering him when she felt his icy fingers on her neck and she shrieked, pulling away from his touch.

"Damnit Neji! Your hands are freezing!"

He chuckled lightly.

"Now I'm fine."

"Jerk!"

He closed the gap between them and cupped her neck with his cool hands again.

She squirmed under his touch and tried to break free.

"Neji! Stop!"

She backed up and felt her back press into the wall. Neji hovered just inches over her and Tenten was glad that his cool hands helped keep the blush at bay.

He lips were appetizingly close to hers and Tenten watched them, mesmerized. And then he pulled away.

Tenten breathed in heavily and watched as he crossed the room to his cutting board and crushed a clove of garlic with the side of his knife, releasing it from it's skin.

She moved back to the counter and turned on the stove. She placed a large pan on the burner and waited for it to heat up.

She took a knife and sliced off a tablespoon of butter from her butter dish. She dropped it in the pan. Next she scooped in some curry powder and ginger powder, mixing the spices into the butter.

The pan stained itself yellow and Tenten dumped in the chicken she had cut. The meat sizzled and steamed. She poked at it with a large spoon, mixing the chicken until it was all tinted yellow.

After a couple of minutes Tenten turned to Neji, her cheeks still warm from their contact earlier.

"I'm ready for the garlic and onion."

Neji picked up the cutting board and stepped behind her, handing her the cutting board. She felt warmth radiate off of his chest and blushed hard, grateful that he could not see her face. If she didn't know any better, she would suspect that he was trying to tease her on purpose.

She ignored him, cooking in silence, letting the sound of sizzling fill her ears.

She relaxed when he moved away from her and started preparing the rice.

Tenten continued mixing in ingredients and eventually the pan was filled with a thick sauce. She grabbed a spoon and took a bite of the dish and relished the flavors that danced across her tongue.

"Mmmm! It's so good, Neji! Try it!"

She dipped her spoon in again and grabbed another bite, holding it out to Neji.

Reluctantly, he accepted her bite. The flavors were sweet and distinct and he was surprised when he enjoyed it.

He watched with a smirk as Tenten ate more from the pan.

"There's not going to be any left for Lee," he teased.

She held another bite up to him and he took it. He then took the spoon from her fingers and leaned past her, taking another bite for himself.

Their proximity was intimate again and Tenten felt her stomach flutter. She watched his lips as he ate another piece of chicken and she felt herself leaning in closer.

Her palms were sweaty and her heart raced.

When she met his eyes, she lost all control of her body and moved automatically.

She pushed herself up on her toes and collided her lips with his.

He leaned in, letting her lower her feet back to the ground, pressing her between himself and the counter.

Their limbs tangled around each other, as did their tongues. He smelled faintly of garlic and she reeked of curry.

When he pushed her further in the counter she felt her knees buckle and moaned. His lips found her neck easily and she leaned over and turned off the stove.

She then found his lips again and felt him hike her up and sit her on the counter. Her legs wrapped easily around his waist.

Her fingers wove into his hair and she pulled his face closer when his fingers dipped under the hem of her shirt.

His fingers left a cool trail up her stomach and over the fabric of her bra.

He smirked into their kiss when he heard the growl in her throat.

His arousal swelled and her panties dampened.

She sighed and moaned when his fingers slipped into the cup of her bra and teased her sensitive nipple.

He growled and pulled her against him, roughly, and her legs tightened around him even more.

Their kiss broke and his hand stilled on her breast when they heard a knock at the door.

They quickly detangled from each other and Tenten took a steady breath, smoothing down her shirt while Neji went to answer the door.

She hopped down from the counter as Lee bounded into the kitchen.

"Tenten! It smells so wonderful in here!"

"Thanks, Lee. Happy birthday!"

He crushed her into a hug and she laughed, hugging him back.

Guy and Neji came into the kitchen and Tenten pulled out four plates and four spoons.

They each filled their plates with rice and curry and sat at the table. Tenten planted a large bottle of hot sauce down on the surface.

Lee yelped with joy and proceeded to douse his curry in the sauce.

Neji scrunched his nose in disgust, watching his teammate and decided to eat his plain.

Tenten added a few drops of hot sauce to hers and Guy drowned his in a similar fashion to Lee's.

Tenten and Neji ate in silence, both thinking about their earlier encounter, and blushing over their curry.

Lee inhaled his, eyes watering in pain from the sauce. His nose was runny and Tenten tried not to look at his face.

"Tenten! This is wonderful!"

"I'm glad you like it Lee," Tenten winced, her ears stinging, "but there's no need to yell."

"But you have cooked us such a youthful dinner!"

"Neji helped." Neji lowered a spoonful of curry back to his plate and glared at Tenten, who stuck out her tongue at him.

Lee's eyes welled with fresh tears and he abruptly pushed himself away from the table and almost knocked Neji out of his chair with the strength of his hug.

"Neji! Thank you for this beautiful display of youth!"

Neji did not answer Lee, he just continued to glare at Tenten over his shoulder.

Guy laughed at the youthful display of the boys, and continued to eat his curry.

Neji roughly pushed Lee away and Tenten giggled.

After dinner Neji helped Tenten clean up.

Tenten convinced Guy to keep Lee in the living room while she prepared the cake.

She was pulled away from the cake by Neji. He pulled her in close, roughly.

He hovered over her ear and she shivered when she felt his warm breath caress her neck.

"Make them leave," he urged.

She trembled and held her breath when he assaulted her neck with a slow, warm kiss, letting his tongue glide across the supple flesh.

She felt her panties dampen as her core pooled with heat. She stuttered, trying to catch her breath.

"Soon," she whispered.

His lips traced her jaw line, his tongue leaving a hot, wet trail. He nibbled on her ear whispered to her.

"Not soon enough."

She whimpered softly when his touch left her.

"The longer you wait to give him cake, the longer it will take them to leave."

Tenten shivered when he left the kitchen and quickly turned her attention back to the cake, lighting the candles with shaky fingers.

She hoped Lee would consume the cake as quickly as Neji had consumed her attention.

* * *

**A/N:** Curry is tasty, a perfect birthday dinner and complemented nicely with kisses. ;)


	10. Safety First

_10\. Safety First_

Neji pressed his cheek into the palm of his hand. His elbow rested on the smooth surface of the table and the fingers of his other hand drummed softly on the surface, tapping out the rhythm of his annoyance.

Naruto had demanded everyone meet at his apartment for quote "something really important!"

What had _something really important _turned out to be?

A box of condoms.

Naruto snickered, a mischievous grin plastered on his face.

_The box thumped down on the table in front of them. Naruto grinned, arms crossed as he proudly displayed his trophy._

_"Check it out, I swiped these from Kakashi-sensei!"_

_Sauske rolled his eyes._

_Kiba rubbed his hands together, eagerly._

_Lee looked up at Naruto with wonder and intrigue._

_"Won't Kakashi-sensei notice them missing?" Asked Choji, between bites of chips._

_"Nah!" Naruto smirked. "You think he's been laid lately? I don't! Ahaha!" _

_"Eh, baka, couldn't you have just bought your own?" Shikamaru's complaint came out lazily._

_"Ne, Shikamaru, this is more fun!" Naruto glared at him._

_"So," asked Shino, quietly, "Why did you call us here? To show us a box of condoms?"_

_"As if. We're going to split them!"_

And here they were now, nine of Konoha's best shinobi, stuck at Naruto's apartment, about to split a box of condoms.

Sai grabbed the box and flipped open the lid, looking inside. He studied the contents for a minute before looking up at Naruto.

"I don't know, Naruto-kun, these seem a little big for you."

Kiba let out a yelp of laughter, slapping the table, while everyone else snickered at Sai's remark.

"Shut up, asshole!" Naruto snatched the box back from him and flipped the lid open, pulling out the colorful strips of condoms.

Neji watched, bored and unimpressed. He didn't want to be here, on the receiving end of Kakashi's pilfered condoms.

Each strip had 10 or so condoms. Naruto took a purple strip and began tearing them apart, separating each condom and tossing one to each guy.

When the small, purple square slid in Neji's direction, he stilled the drumming of his fingers and lifted his hand, capturing the square package easily under his hand.

He pressed the package between his fingers and lifted it to his eyes.

_Ecstasy._

_For her pleasure._

He pressed it back down on the table, hiding it under his hand, feeling his cheeks warm.

The language was… _blunt…_ to say the least.

"For her pleasure?" Lee's voice rang hotly in his ears, laced first with confusion, and then with excitement. "How youthful! It is very good of us to consider the needs of our partner!"

_Shut. Up. Lee._

"Neji!"

_God damnit._

Lee leaned in and whispered to him, not wanting Naruto or Sauske to hear his question.

"Do you think Sakura-chan would appreciate something so youthful as this?"

"Hn."

"Come on, Neji! Tell me!"

"No," he stated flatly, "I don't think any woman would be impressed if you walked up to them and showed them this."

"Then how am I supposed to win Sakrua-chan's affections!?"

A yellow package slid to Lee and then one to Neji.

_Twisted._

Neji placed his hand over it and pulled it in with the first one.

"You're supposed to win her with your personality first, idiot."

"How can I do that, Neji?"

"Maybe you should tone it down a little, wear less green?"

"But green is so youthful! Like the grass in springtime!"

"Whatever," Neji knew there was no point in continuing their argument.

He caught another condom in his hand.

_Ultra Thin._

Was it time for him to leave yet?

"Yo, Naruto," Kiba was having the most fun, "Kakashi-sensei got any _Magnums_?" Kiba wiggled his brows.

"Haha, you think Kakashi-sensei needs those?" Naruto scoffed.

"He needs them more than you, Naruto-kun," smirked Sai.

"Damnit Sai!"

"Banana?" Choji looked at the newest condom quizzically.

"They're flavored, Choji," explained Shikamaru.

"Why?"

"For when she sucks you off, of course," interrupted Kiba.

"Yeah, but why would you want to wear a condom for that?"

"Choji!" Naruto laughed. "Now you're getting in the right mindset!"

Neji caught his flavored condom.

_Strawberry._

And then another.

_Glow in the Dark._

And then the last.

_Fire and Ice._

_Warming and tingling sensations for both partners._

"Can I leave now, teme?" Sauske looked how Neji felt, annoyed and slightly embarrassed.

"Yeah, you all should leave, I wanna see if I can invite Sakura-chan over for ramen!"

"No!" Lee shouted next. "I intend to hang out with Sakura-chan!"

"You're both idiots," muttered Sauske.

"So we're done here?" asked Neji. "Because I'm late for training."

Naruto wiggled his eyebrows at the Hyūga.

"_Training_, huh?"

Neji leaned over the table, glaring deeply at Naruto.

"Yes, Naruto. _Training._ And if you intended to insist anything that would compromise Tenten's integrety-"

"Yeah, yeah."

Neji narrowed his glare and Naruto smirked.

"Have fun _training._"

Neji wanted to punch him, but refrained.

His hand fisted around the condoms and he shoved them into his backpack, before standing up to leave.

"Lee?"

"Right!" Lee stood up next to Neji. "I must go find Sakura-chan before Naruto-kun!"

"No fair!" Naruto shot up as well.

Neji huffed a frustrated sigh. He had hoped Lee coming with him would dispel any gossip that might arise after he left, but apparently Lee was leaving him on his own today.

**~o0o~**

By the time Neji reached the training grounds, Tenten was waiting for him.

She was laying on her stomach, legs bent at the knees, shoes off, her ankles locked together. She was plucking at the grass, playing with a strand between her fingers, humming softly.

It was very rare for her to reach the training grounds before him and he enjoyed watching her relax.

Her chakra signature seemed to flow, washing smoothly off of her, pulsing in time with her song.

He crossed the field to the tree, noting the way the sun freckled her skin through the leaves of the tree that shaded her.

When he was by her side she looked up at him and smiled.

"Neji!" Her voice was light and carefree, if his absence had worried him, she didn't let it show. "I was wondering where you were."

He sat down next to her, folding his legs in to cross.

He placed his pack down and rested his fingers on his knees.

Usually he had time to meditate before their sparring sessions, but Naruto had cut into his time and he knew Tenten would not mind waiting a few more minutes.

His eyes closed and his breathing evened. He emptied his mind, focusing on the sensations provided by the world around him.

The sun was warm and he began to perspire lightly, his shirt sticking to his back. Cicada buzzed in the heat of the afternoon and birds chirped.

The leaves rustled as a soft breeze washed against his face, pushing away the heat of the sun brought.

Tenten continued to hum softly, letting the breeze pick up the soft tunes that radiated from her throat.

The breeze also brought with it the light, flowery scent of her perfume, mingled lightly with her own sweat and pheromones.

Her chakra pulsed softly, sending him some of her energy.

He enjoyed the sensations she added to his session and found it easy to clear his mind of the distractions from the morning.

Time passed at it's own pace and Neji didn't bother to measure the increments. If it had been an hour or ten minutes, he was unsure. But when she shifted next to him, reaching over his lap for his bag, his eyes opened.

"Can I help you?" His voice was smooth, thick with relaxation.

"I want some tea," she cooed.

"Ah,"

She pulled the sack to her side, sitting up and crossing her legs.

She placed his bag in her lap and tugged gently at the drawstrings before slipping her hand into the bag and pulling out a thermos of matcha. She swirled the thermos in her hand, her wrist twisting elegantly, as she mixed the tea.

She placed the thermos on the grass and slipped her hand back into his bag, searching for the mugs.

The soft features of her face crinkled as her brows knit together.

He paled, realizing what her fingers had found. The smooth plastic between her fingers, feeling the thick ring that was sealed inside. The way it crinkled softly when she pulled it from the bag.

It was purple.

He blushed heavily, feeling dizzy and anxious. He did not try to snatch it from her, to do so would immediately admit his guilt.

Instead he watched, waiting for her reaction. He watched her lips part slightly as she mouthed the words printed on the package.

_Ecstacy._

_For her pleasure._

Her cheeks stained pink and her fingers trembled.

"Neji," confusion laced her voice. And was there a hint of anger mixed in there? "What on _earth_ are you doing with _this_?"

Yes, there was anger.

"Naruto-"

"What could Naruto _possibly_ have to do with this?"

She dug into his backpack and found the rest.

His throat was dry, his cheeks were red, and his pride was wounded.

"He made us all come over," Nejji started, his words fumbling off of his tongue. "Turns out he stole a box of condoms from Kakashi-sensei and insisted we split them."

Tenten scoffed.

"Sounds like Naruto all right."

Neji relaxed, he knew she'd understand.

"So," she leaned in closer to him, "does that mean Lee is off trying to find Sakura."

Neji chuckled.

"Of course it does."

She giggled at him and leaned back on her hands, condoms resting on her knees, backpack still in her lap.

"There's a surprise," she sighed.

Feeling more comfortable, Neji leaned next to her and procured two mugs from his backpack. He grabbed the thermos and poured them each a mug.

Tenten sat back up when he handed her the hot tea and she pressed the mug to her lips and exhaled, cooling the tea, before taking a sip of the sweet liquid.

Neji watched her drink before taking his own sip.

Soon Tenten began to look at the condoms again, reading each packaging casually, curiously, as she sipped her tea.

"I wonder if the strawberry one actually tastes like strawberries."

"Hn. Maybe."

Neji felt his cheeks warm again when she tore open the package and pushed out part of the rolled condom.

Neji watched her, curiously, wondering what she would do as the blood began to rush from his head and pool in his stomach.

Her nose wrinkled slightly when she sniffed it, no doubt taking in the scent of latex. And then her tongue poked out from between her lips and she licked the condom.

She pulled her tongue back into her mouth and rolled the flavor over the muscle for a minute.

"So," he asked, "strawberries?"

"Actually, yeah." She looked surprised at how well the flavor had been reproduced.

Tenten leaned in close to him and his senses heightened. Her body was warm and comfortable as she leaned against him, shoulder to shoulder, condom in one hand, his arm in her other.

She leaned into his ear and whispered, seductively. Her breath smelled like strawberries.

"Wanna try?"

He stammered. What was she suggesting?

For a moment he thought about rolling over her, pinning her into the grass and kissing her deeply. Yes, he wanted to try _that._

But she held the condom under his nose and winked.

She wanted him to _taste_ it.

His nose wrinkled under the smell and his desire left him.

"No."

Her giggle fluttered lightly in the air and she pulled it away from him.

"Are you sure?"

"I am. After all, I don't think the flavor was intended for me."

"Oh? And who might it be intended for?" Her voice purred softly in his ear and her grip on his arm tightened.

_You._

However, _you_ was not the appropriate answer in this scenario. He, of course, meant _you_ as in her, the woman, but if he said _you_, she would think it meant her, specifically. If he mentioned another woman, he risked offending her.

"Ne, Neji, what are you thinking about?"

_Strawberries._

"Nothing."

"Sure."

"Hn."

He hated when he teased her like this.

"Tell me," she whispered.

He snatched the condom from her hand, looking down at her, lips close.

Her chakra signature pulsed with excitement.

He kissed her and she melted against him. She tasted faintly of tea and strawberries.

When he pressed her back into the grass, she spread her legs and arched her back.

Training forgotten, he claimed her in the field for himself, pulling his name from her lips.

After their passionate entwine they laid in the grass next to each other, resting on their sides, exchanging soft kisses and caresses, brushing locks of hairs from each others faces.

He doubted Naruto had been graced with even half of the luck that Neji had.

When she rolled him onto his back and straddled him, he was sure of the fact.

He watched her fingers close around the yellow one, _Twisted,_ and thought it was suitable. Smirks twisted onto both of their lips and she leaned over him and kissed him deeply, twisting their tongues together.

* * *

**A/N:** Written for Aquarius Galuxy! Let me know what you guys think!


	11. Ocean

_11\. Ocean_

* * *

The sand felt good between her toes, the light breeze picked up loose strands of hair and brushed the heat of the sun off of her back.

She sat, knees pulled to her chest, back rounded, arms draped lazily over her knees.

Tenten had given up her usual training garb for a loose fitting tank top and shorts. She wiggled the painted toes of her naked feet and buried them into the sand, enjoying the sensation.

On her right, her scroll sat, cradled in the sand, waiting for her. However, she had been training for so long she cared little for the object and preferred taking the time to enjoy nature.

Somewhere behind her hid her companion. While she soaked in the sun, he sought the shade.

Meditation was his excuse, however she knew the truth was that he sought to avoid a sunburn. His pale skin burned much easier than hers and when the time came for her to face the ocean, he had retreated, suggesting she find him when she was ready to open her scroll.

And while Tenten knew that Neji wanted her to complete her task so they could return to Konoha, the journey to the beach had taken them a few days. Tenten almost never got to enjoy the beach, so she preferred to relax.

Gai said she was too easygoing, however in her profession - where your life could end in an instant - she preferred to relax and savor the moments when they arrived.

She had spent several months training harder than she had in her entire life and thought she deserved a break. However, she wished her break was more socially stimulating.

She thought briefly about how the beach would have been if she had brought Lee and Gai with her.

She pictured them running wildly across the sand, challenging even the crabs to a battle of youth.

She snorted, laughing inwardly at the mental image.

"Too socially stimulating," she admitted, out loud.

She leaned back, resting her weight onto her hands, and craned her neck back, scanning the beach for signs of her companion. Eventually she found his form perched under the shade of a line of large stones and boulders. He sat, legs folded, back straight, chin held high. His open palms rested on his knees and his index finger came to meet his thumb.

It was hard to see him, but Tenten knew with just a flick of his eyes, Neji could see her perfectly, and because of this, he had no concerns wandering farther away.

Tenten sighed.

"Not socially stimulating enough."

She rolled onto her side, pushing her hip into the sand and stretching her legs out. Propped up on one elbow she looked over to her teammate.

"And people wonder why I talk to myself."

She reached out next to her scroll, where she had pushed a water bottle into the sand, and grabbed it, drinking down the cold water.

When the bottle was empty she slowly pushed herself up to her feet and brushed the sand off of her hands, deciding that she had rested enough.

When she leaned over to pick up her scroll she felt eyes on her and paused, looking over to Neji.

She didn't need to be able to make out his face to know he had sensed her move and activated his byakugan. His nonverbal message was simple: _I am here to help, but you need to do this alone._

She scooped up her scroll and made her way down to the shoreline. The water slid up the beach and over her feet, sending a chill up her spine.

She made her way towards a jetty and climbed up the slippery rocks, rooting her chakra into her feet to keep her steady.

Once on top, Tenten navigated further out into the ocean, until she reached the end of the jetty. She looked out over the ocean and a wave slammed against the rocks. The ocean spray consumed her in a fine, salty mist.

Taking a grounding breath, Tenten unrolled her scroll and stepped towards the end of the boulder, her toes curing over the rough stone and slimy moss.

She laid the scroll out in front of her and focused her chakra, waiting for a large wave to approach. As the ocean swelled, she rooted more chakra into her feet and formed a few quick hand signs. But before she could finish the seals, the ocean crashed over her, soaking her.

Tenten frowned, pushing back wet bangs. Her buns hung heavily on her head and she could feel strands escaping the hair ties.

The salt water mixed with sand made her clothes wet and uncomfortable and she could feel Neji watching her.

She grit her teeth and tried again.

More hand signs, more ocean, more eyes.

Every time she failed she felt irritated and embarrassed. Everything came so easily to Neji and here she stood, at the edge of the ocean while he watched her fail again.

The seventh failure turned her efforts from determination to frustration and in an instant she was back on dry land, having jumped from the boulders, and landing in front of Neji.

He looked up at her, barley phased by her presence and took in her soaking form. She was oozing emotion and when he bit back a smirk she exploded.

"I can't concentrate with you watching me!"

He looked up at her, expression serene, and waited out her tantrum.

"Why do you have to make everything look so god damned easy? It's not easy! Why don't you get your ass up there and try!"

When he did not engage her she stomped her foot in the sand and stalked off. However, she only made it a few feet before snapping back around and stomping back over to him. She leaned over him, holding out her finger, wagging it at him, while salt water dripped off of her and onto him.

"Just because you can't see how my skills have improved doesn't mean they haven't, you know!"

While she seethed he looked calmly up at her.

"I never said that," he finally said.

"Never said what?"

"That I can't see your improvement," he clarified, "I never said that."

Tenten was taken aback. Was he really watching her grow?

"But Gai-sensei said-"

"He may be our sensei, but that does not always make him right." Neji rose from the ground and stood tall, hovering inches over his companion.

Tenten straightened up with him and now she was looking up at him.

"You know he pays more attention to Lee than both of us combined. If your growth isn't obvious to him, it is for that reason."

She looked up at him, frowning.

"But next to you and Lee, I feel like I haven't grown at all."

She felt his arms encircle her she stiffened when he pulled her in close. Her hands found his shirt and she gripped it lightly.

"You are too hard on yourself." She felt his breath press lightly on her face and her frustration melted away.

He pushed away a wet lock of hair and traced a hooked finger down her jaw line, watching her lips.

"Neji-"

She was caught off by lips brushing over hers as she was pulled into a gentle kiss. Tenten felt her heart soar and she kissed him back. His tongue ran over her lower lip and made its way between her lips. When their tongues met Tenten could taste the salt from her lips and wiggled in closer to him.

When the kiss ended, he hovered over her lips and she felt him press something into her hand.

Tenten looked down between them to see that she had wrapped her hand around a fresh scroll. She looked back up at him and he smiled lightly at her.

His arms slackened around her and she stepped back a little.

"Thanks Neji."

He let her go and she took the scroll as she made her way back to the jetty.

With renewed strength she reached the last rock and rooted herself to the ground.

When the water surged she whipped the scroll open.

"Fuin no jutsu!"

The water rushed at her, but this time instead of soaking her, it pushed into the scroll. Tenten grit her teeth and forced her chakra into the sealing technique.

She didn't know how long she pulled the ocean towards her, but it seemed to take ages to seal the water.

Eventually the water receded and Tenten felt her chakra deplete.

She fell to her knees and looked at the scroll sprawled out in front of her.

The kanji for ocean had formed on the paper and a grin spread across her face. She whipped her head back and saw Neji, standing where she had left him.

And although she couldn't make out his face, she knew what he was trying to tell her.

_I knew you could do it._

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry this took forever to update. I got a bit of writers block, which is ironic because this is a 100 theme challenge. Haha. Although I will admit that most of the block had to do with my getting hung up on a new AU. Matters of State is a medieval AU that takes place in the 1500's. Check it out, I'm in love with it. Haha Anyway, inspired by AquariusGaluxy who requested I do a bit of behind the scenes from Tenten training in episode 405.


	12. Delicates

12\. Delicates

When she heard the knock at the door, Tenten opened it with a wide grin and met the bored frown of Neji Hyuuga.

"About time you showed up," she teased.

"You said one o'clock."

"And it's one-oh-two." She winked at him.

"Hn." He leaned against the door jam and glanced down at her. "Can we get this over with?"

"What?" she asked, stepping back to allow him access to her apartment, "Don't want to spend time with me?"

Neji followed her into the apartment and closed the door behind him.

"I never said that," he frowned, "I just didn't think I would be stuck doing something so trivial as helping you fix your washing machine."

"I don't know anything about washing machines and it won't drain." She began to lead him to the small closet that housed her washing machine. She opened the closet door and stepped aside to let Neji look at the machine.

"I don't know much about washing machines either," he admitted, crouching down to look through the windowed door.

A small pool of water sat in the drum. There were no clothes in the machine, Tenten had moved them to the dryer, which spun and squeaked next to them. Neji shifted his gaze up to look at the cycle options.

"Have you tried running a spin cycle? To drain out the water?"

"Yes, but it pauses halfway through."

"Does it drain any water?"

"A little."

"Well, let's run it again and see if we can get all of the water to drain out before we do anything else."

Neji punched a few buttons to set the cycle and he pushed start. The door locked with a click and the machine began to hum as water slowly drained from the drum.

After a minute, it paused and Neji reset the cycle, repeating the process until there was no water left.

Tenten leaned over him, watching the water disappear.

"Well, at least it's empty now. What do you think the problem is?" She leaned her chin on his shoulder and felt him tense slightly under her touch.

"I would suspect a clog."

"You should check."

"How?"

"With your byakugan. I don't want to take apart this thing unless I know for sure where the problem is." She stood up and stepped back, letting him look.

Neji activated his byakugan and looked over the washing machine, pausing towards the bottom.

"It looks like there might be a clog in the bottom. It looks like the drain is there."

He closed his eyes and the veins receded. He opened them again and looked over to Tenten.

"Awesome!" She grinned. "Let's open it up! Can you help me pull it out of the closet?"

"Sure."

Together they worked, awkwardly scooting the machine out of the closet and into the hallway. When it was out far enough, Tenten climbed on top and dropped behind the machine. She pulled the plug out of the outlet and turned back to Neji.

"I've got a tool bag on the shelf, up there, can you get me a screwdriver?"

She watched as he wordlessly looked up and reached for the tool bag. Tenten enjoyed watching him retrieve her screwdriver and flicked her eyes away before he handed it to her.

"There's a bowl in there too, can you get that?"

Neji raised a brow, but reached up again anyway.

"You keep a bowl in your tool bag?"

"It's magnetic, so I don't loose the screws."

He handed her a silver bowl with a large magnet on the bottom. She stuck it to the top of the dryer and pulled out a few screws from the top of the washer.

She pried off the lid and Neji took it and leaned it up against the wall behind them.

He helped her climb out from behind the washer, holding her waist gently, while she clung to his shoulders and gave up any notion of grace she'd previously known as she tried to swing over the shaky dryer.

_At least the vibrations feel nice,_ she thought. Neji helped her to the ground and they began taking off the computer panel before removing the door.

When the door was free, Neji knelt down and looked under the drum. He pointed to a large, rubber attachment, connected to the drum and a few pipes.

"The clog is in there."

"Can you fix it?"

"Maybe, it seems easy enough. May I have the screwdriver?"

Tenten handed him the screwdriver and crouched down beside him.

"It might leak, do you have a towel?"

"Yeah, hold on."

Tenten stood back up and pushed herself up on her toes. Neji watched the arch of her foot and the way the sinews in her ankle rippled as she strained to reach. After a moment, her heels returned to the ground and she crouched back to his side and handed him the towel.

Neji laid down on his stomach and spread the towel under the clogged drain.

There was a knock at the door and Tenten bounced up and ran to open it.

When she opened the door she was met with Lee's wide grin.

"Tenten! You are home! Wonderful!"

Tenten laughed at his enthusiasm.

"What's up, Lee?"

"Gai-sensei is away on a mission and I cannot find Neji, would you like to train with me?!"

Tenten narrowed her eyes.

"So I'm your last option?"

Lee panicked, waving his hands in front of him.

"No! No, Tenten! Not at all! It's just that... uh..."

"Save it Lee, Neji is here and we can't train right now."

"Why not?! My I come in and spend time with my favorite teammates?"

"We're your only teammates, Lee."

"Not true!" Lee rose a finger in the air to make his point. "Gai-sensei is our teammate as well."

"Well, yes, but he's more our sensei... Whatever, it doesn't matter." Tenten sighed. "Come in."

"What are you and Neji doing? Training?"

"No, he is helping me fix my washing machine."

Lee clapped his hands together, excited.

"I will help!"

_You might make it worse,_ she thought, imagining Lee over enthusiastically tearing her washing machine apart, trying to find the source of her clog.

"No need," came Neji's easy reply, "I found the clog." There was a smirk on his face as he entered the living room.

"What was it?!" Lee was excited to hear that the mystery was solved.

"Yeah, Neji, what was it?" Tenten was nervous, the smirk on his face was coy. Lee could not read his facial expressions nearly as well as Tenten could and even though he didn't often joke around, when he did, Tenten knew to be wary.

From behind his back, Neji procured a pink scrap of fabric. Tenten looked at it, confused, until he stretched it out with his other hand.

The word formed in her mind as Lee uttered it out loud.

"Panties?"

Tenten's face flushed and she ran up to Neji and snatched them from his hands, balling them up in her fist.

She felt a hot whisper in her ear and blushed.

"Pink, Tenten?"

"Neji!"

She turned and stalked into the kitchen, hiding her embarrassment from Lee and Neji.

"Why don't you two put my washing machine back together and I'll make us some tea?"

She heard Lee cheer and the heavy silence of Neji's annoyance.

_Serves you right, _she thought,_ parading my panties around like some perverted trophy_.

She un balled them and looked down at the underwear she realized she hadn't seen in at least a week.

They were tattered and stained with grease from the machine. They were once cute, trimmed with white lace and printed with roses. The bow that had sat in the middle was long gone, having been torn away from so many cycles.

She frowned at the loss and tossed them in the trash before turning her attention to the tea kettle on her stove.

She filled it to the brim and set it to boil. While she waited she prepared three bags, filling them with a blend of tea that Hinata had prepared. She heard the sounds of the washing machine being reluctantly put back together and chuckled to herself as she pulled three mugs out of the cabinet above her.

"So..."

She paused, mid reach, the smooth rumble of his voice hot on her neck catching her off guard. She felt hands, low on her hips and her breath quickened as her body reacted to the gentle, yet demanding pressure that Neji placed on her hips.

"So..." she swallowed.

"What color?"

Her face heated. Was Neji really asking _her_ what color underwear she had on?

"Where's Lee?"

"Pushing the washing machine back into your closet. I told him to run a cycle and watch it get started before draining it to make sure it works."

"I see." Tenten placed the third mug down on the counter. She felt his lips close to her ear, his breath hot against the flesh.

"So," he asked again, "what color?"

The kettle whistled but Tenten made no move to turn off the burner.

Neji leaned over and turned off the stove. Lee yelled out to them.

"It works!"

Tenten felt lips on her neck and gasped. What had gotten into Neji?

"T-thanks, Lee." She paused to gasp silently. She felt him push his hips into her bottom and she clung to the edge of the counter. "Can you watch it for another m-minute and then cancel the cycle? M-make sure it dr-drains!" His tongue flicked against her ear and she whimpered.

"I will not fail you, Tenten!" Lee shouted back. "I shall not take my eyes off your washing machine until I am sure it is functioning!"

"T-thanks Lee!"

A hand wandered up her shirt and cupped a breast over her bra. Neji squeezed gently and sucked at her jaw, pushing her into the counter.

"W-what are you do-doing-ah!" She felt a finger slip into the cup of her bra, flicking across a taught nipple.

"Wondering," he whispered, tracing a finger across the waistband of her pants.

"About what?"

"I told you." He nipped at her neck. She felt his fingers dip into the waistband of her pants and trace against the edge of her scarlet panties and his touch burned. "Tell me."

She wanted to, the word _red_ was on her tongue, but Lee would be done soon and she did not have the time to tread any further right now.

Reluctantly, Tenten pushed him away and reached a shaky arm to the tea kettle and brought it over to the mugs, filling each one with care.

"I suppose," she whispered, her tongue laced with lust. She placed the kettle back on the stove top and placed the teabags in each mug. She watched them steep. "You will have to find out for yourself."

He spun her around and pressed her back against the counter, whispering into her ear.

"I would like to know now." She felt his arousal against her.

"I have company," came a curt reply. She tried to keep her voice from wavering, but she hardly managed to keep her composure.

Neji pulled her into a deep, slow, yet needy kiss. When he finally released her lips he hissed at her.

"Make him leave."

His lips trailed over her neck, leaving wet kisses down to her collarbone.

Tenten trembled, feeling his hand slip between her legs, stroking her, teasing her, through the thick layers of fabric.

"A-after tea."

Neji frowned, but conceded, pulling away from her. She felt a chill in the air that replaced the warmth his touch had brought. He helped her bring the tea to the table and they sat down. Tenten placed a small plate in the center of the table and placed her used teabag on it.

Lee joined them seconds later and sat down.

"This tea looks wonderful, Tenten! Thank you!"

"Thank you for helping fix my washing machine."

"Youth brought us all together to fix your washing machine and enjoy a wonderful cup of tea."

Tenten smiled and nodded in agreement. She brought her mug to her lips, taking a light sip.

"Take your time, it's hot." She met Neji's gaze and watched him flinch under her stare, understanding that her words were meant for him, and not Lee. "I wouldn't want you to burn your tongue."

* * *

**A/N:** Totally not inspired by a real life event... Haha... Anyway, as always let me know if you enjoyed it. :D


	13. Visitor

_13\. Visitor_

* * *

The last remnants of the fireworks show rang loudly across the compound and cast soft, colorful glows across the threshold. Outside, Hinata was still listening to the show and enjoying the warm summer evening.

Inside, Neji leaned against the wall feeling mixed about her inability to have gone into town.

"Look at you."

Neji's eyes snapped up and realized that Tenten had snuck onto the compound and into the room. How had he not noticed her chakra?

"I tried to mask my chakra, to see if I could sneak up on you."

Her eyes twinkled in the soft glow of the room. She stood about five feet from him dressed in a red yukata with a gold obi. Her sleeves were tied back and her hair was styled as usual. Of course, she had a knowing smirk on her lips. He knew her too well to know that the only thing that would come pass her lips now would be teases.

"What are you doing here, Tenten?"

"You're quite the caretaker," she mused, his question ignored. She leaned to the side to peer out the door, where Hinata was sitting. Neji's lips tightened into a line and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I heard all about your little mission. You should have asked me to come. Aren't I better company than Naruto and Sakura?"

Neji grunted lightly, almost a laugh.

"I probably wouldn't have had to save you as quickly as I had to save them."

Tenten pressed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes.

"Who said I need saving?"

Neji sighed. He wasn't quite interested in discussing the finer points of feminism.

"Why did you come here?"

"To check on you guys."

"We are fine. Why didn't you stay in town with Lee and Gai-sensei? I thought you were excited about tonight."

"Well," she frowned, hands still on her hips, "You promised me you'd come. And since you couldn't I figured I'd come to you."

Neji frowned. Tenten had been looking forward to the fireworks, mostly because they represented Tsunade's rise to Hokakge.

"That wasn't necessary."

"Don't be so stubborn, Neji. Have a little fun. I left the fireworks early to come see you two."

Neji clenched his jaw. He hated being scolded, especially by Tenten. He held a certain amount of respect for her. For her skills, for her strength. But she had a talent for mothering their team. And she was good at it. Lee was scolded much more often by her and Neji knew that when she turned to him, she was usually right.

"I apologize," he admitted after a moment.

"It's alright." She smiled at him and peered out the door to Hinata again. "So, how is she feeling?"

"Fine." Neji uncrossed his arms and stood up a little straighter, no longer leaning against the wall. "The doctors say she should be recovered within another week or so."

"That's good. Seem's like you're doing a good job taking care of her."

"You continue to point that out," he said, flatly.

"It's because it's sweet."

Neji frowned and Tenten giggled.

"Oh, come on," she stepped close enough to try and pinch his cheek (which he was unable to put a stop to quickly enough) and continued her thought. "It's sweet to see you like this."

Neji crossed his arms again and shifted his weight nervously. He supposed if someone was going to see him like this, then he would prefer it to be Tenten. Even though she liked to push them regularly, it still seemed like she was the most respectful of his boundaries.

"If I got hurt would you take care of me?"

Neji glanced down at his teammate, her eyes soft and lip slightly pouted.

"I thought you said you didn't need saving."

"That doesn't mean it wouldn't be nice every now and then."

"I am sure you can take care of yourself, Tenten."

It was too late that he saw the challenge in her eye.

She wobbled lightly, bending her ankle so she rested on the side of her foot.

"Oh no! My ankle!" She laughed as she teased him. But he saw her knee buckle and knew she intended to let herself hit the ground. If she did, Neji would never hear the end of it.

She made it halfway down before he caught her, hooking his arms under her armpits and pulling her against his chest.

He stood them both back up and loosened his grip around her. Her hands had grabbed fistfuls of his shirt and she smelled sweet, like peony flowers. Neji decided that she looked pretty under the glow of the moonlight, eyes wild and face flushed from the realization that he'd caught her and both had yet to let go.

"So," she teased, catching her breath, "you do care."

"I wasn't going to let you fall."

"You contradict yourself," she teased, "It's cute."

Neji frowned, but didn't let go. It was seldom he was so close to someone outside of combat. It was nice.

She leaned in close, winding her arms around his neck, brushing her nose against his and he stiffened.

"My ankle hurts, Neji," she whined in a teasing manner. He noted that he could feel her breasts pressing lightly against his chest. "But I want to go say hi to Hinata."

Neji kept his lips in a tight line, not sure how to react or respond.

"Carry me." It was not a question. He raised a brow and she pressed down against his shoulders, jumping up. Neji easily caught her legs over his arm and she rested her head on his shoulder and grinned.

Neither of them had anticipated that he would actually carry her. She was light in his arms and he found the weight comfortable.

Neji began to walk away from the wall and turned to see the threshold of the open door and began to walk towards his cousin, Tenten teasing him and cradled in his arms.

"I'd let you take care of me," she decided out loud. "Hinata is lucky, although it kind of is your fault."

Neji paused and looked down at her, ready to argue back. Tenten was right, and she was the only one he would ever admit that too. She had quickly picked up the art of nonverbal communication with him after joining Team Gai, and Neji was relieved that he did not have to vocalize now.

"Just take it easy on her. Even if she is from the main branch, it's clear she isn't quite as strong as you. Don't push her so hard."

Neji pursed his lips in thought while trying to decide if he could formulate an adequate response. But he found that he was at a loss for words when his cheek tingled from the light pressure of her lips.

She had kissed him full on the cheek and his body stiffened and he held his breath. It was quick and friendly, yet so unexpected. Tenten pulled back and gently nudged his shoulder, signaling her desire to be let down.

Still in a reasonable state of shock, having been caught off guard, Neji lowered her legs down awkwardly until her naked toes found the smooth wooden floorboards. When he saw her face, he thought her cheeks were stained pink with embarrassment, but he could not be positive in the dark.

"You're a good cousin," Tenten stumbled over her words, trying to regain her composure, yet unwilling to sacrifice the intimate distance which set her on edge. "You're a good teammate and a good friend."

She placed another quick kiss on his cheek and pulled out of their embrace and crossed the threshold where she placed a hand gingerly on Hinata's shoulder to announce her presence before settling down next to the heiress.

Tenten started talking with Hinata animatedly, trying to describe the fireworks and cheer her up while Neji watched.

The sight of her perched on their porch, next to his cousin, was a sight that Neji decided he quite liked.

* * *

**A/N:** Another update! Yay. Rewatched the eipsiode where Hinata strains her eyes and Neji wont admit to taking care of her to anyone. Hehe. As always, thank you for taking the time to read and review!


	14. Risk

_14\. Risk_

Tenten sat at her desk, hunched over the smooth wooden surface. Her knees had pushed the majority of the pillow stuffing aside about an hour ago and, with minimal padding, they had begun to ache. Her back was sore; she had spent too long with her shoulders hunched forward. And her ink stained fingers were cramped from the tightness of her grip. Still, she persisted.

Having an adequate and seemingly unending supply of weapons was crucial and every couple of weeks Tenten would dedicate an afternoon to inventorying and reorganizing the contents of her scrolls.

She could be summoned for a mission at a moments notice, so she had piles and piles of scrolls that she rotated through. Never would anyone be able to say that Tenten was unprepared for battle.

She shifted her weight forward a little and the rice paper under her fingers crinkled. She placed a few more strokes and blew lightly on the ink, encouraging it to dry.

A soft knock permeated the silence of her bedroom before the door opened.

"Tenten, you have a guest."

Tenten looked up from her work and stuck her brush back into the ink pot. Her mother stood on the threshold of her bedroom, a coy smile on her face.

Tenten knew exactly who had come by.

She sighed and rolled her shoulders back, stretching the tight muscles in her spine. She lifted herself into a forward fold, allowing her legs and back to loosen before she stood up straight. When Tenten twisted her torso small pops and cracks erupted as her spine set back into place. Her mother continued to talk while she stretched.

"It's your teammate," she began, "the cute one."

Tenten rolled her eyes and shook her wrist, hoping to release the cramps. She made her way towards the door and tried to ignore her mother's hints.

"Why haven't you asked him out yet?"

"Mom! He's my teammate."

"So? That just means he'll have plenty of time for you."

Tenten sighed and slipped past her mother and down the hall. She heard the light footsteps on the carpet behind her and knew the only way she would escape was if she made it to the living room.

"He's so nice, he would be good to you."

Tenten paused at the end of the hall and spun around on her heel, looking up at her mother with a frown.

"Please mom, can't we talk about this later?" And without waiting for her answer, Tenten turned back and moved into the living room.

Her mother's reply had come just above a whisper and lingered in Tenten's ear when her eyes fell on the couch where Hyuuga Neji sat.

"Think about it," she had cooed.

Tenten shook the thought from her head and approached Neji. He was seated on the edge of the couch, hunched forward slightly. In front of him was a cup of tea, freshly brewed by her mother and cooling on the coffee table.

"Don't look so comfortable," she teased. "You might never get up."

Neji frowned a little, but straightened up.

"I see your day off has left you time to write some new jokes."

Tenten plopped herself down on the couch and curled into the corner. She picked her feet up and laid them on Neji's lap, much to his displeasure.

"Well," she stretched her arms over her head chasing away the last of the stiffness, "I have to keep you on your toes." She then wiggled her own toes for emphasis.

"Could you please move your feet, Tenten?" Neji was clearly annoyed but Tenten was never put off by his attitude.

"Oh, come on, I showered this morning." She raised a foot up towards his face. "See, all clean."

Neji pushed the offensive appendage away and looked down at her, arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

"Be serious, Tenten."

Tenten pulled her feet off of his lap with the bend of her knees and crossed her arms as well.

"It's my day off, I should be allowed to act however I'd like."

"So when you aren't babysitting Lee and Gai-sensei you wave your feet in people's faces?"

"Even if I did," she said with a smile, "you'd still like me just the same." She poked his cheek and he swatted her hand away. "Eh, Neji, you're no fun."

"This isn't a social call, Tenten."

Tenten sighed and sank back into the couch.

"It never is."

"Tsunade-sama has requested an audience."

"But it's the weekend."

Neji's eyebrows rose a little in surprise.

"Whiney today, are we, Tenten?"

"Don't be a jerk, Neji. Let's get this over with."

* * *

A light breeze swept through the open window and rustled the stack of papers on the Hokage's desk. Outside Neji could hear the laughs and squeals of children as they rose from the street below.

On either side of him were two very different energies.

Lee was bursting at the seams, as always. Tenten, however was radiating an aura of irritation. Neji had to admit that her frustration was not without warrant. He had dragged her to the hokage's tower on their day off where Lee had promptly tugged her arm and began speculating loudly in her ear.

While Neji had kept his distance and let her simmer, Lee had discovered the hard way that her patience was lacking today.

"I'm sorry to have called you in on your day off," said Tsunade. "But I just received a mission request and I will need you to leave first thing in the morning."

The hokage leaned back in her chair and looked over each of them. She picked up a scroll and held it out with a measure of disinterest.

"Neji, you are the team captain."

He stepped forward and accepted the scroll from her with a curt bow.

"There are rumors that Akatsuki members have been seen around their old hideout in the Land of Rivers. Since you three have been there before you know the landscape and the location of the hideout. I need you to investigate and see if these rumors have any truth to them."

Tsunade leaned forward, her expression turning serious.

"This is an information gathering mission only. If you find any truth to these rumors I want you back in my office as quickly as possible. You will only engage the enemy if it is your only option. Is that clear?"

Neji nodded.

"Of course, Tsuande-sama."

"Good. The details are in that scroll." Tsunade waved her hand dismissively at them and turned her attention back to her stack of paperwork. "You leave at first light."

* * *

Tenten hunched over Neji's shoulder and scanned the contents of the scroll.

They were in his bedroom at the Hyuuga compound. Neji was seated at his desk trying to ignore her chosen proximity.

"These are some interesting rumors," Tenten noted. "Especially since that cavern caved in."

"Yes," Neji agreed, "let's hope they are just rumors."

Nearby a door clicked shut and Neji glanced at his door before rolling up the scroll.

"My mother is home."

Tenten grinned and leaned in close. She lowered her voice and whispered tauntingly in his ear.

"Oh? Will you get in trouble for having a girl in your room?"

Neji sighed and Tenten leaned back, chuckling. He stood up and ushered her quickly towards the door.

"With the door closed, Neji? Where is your modesty?"

She beamed with pleasure when she saw his jaw tighten. She enjoyed pushing his buttons. He placed his hand on her lower back and pushed her towards the door.

Tenten spun around and stopped him.

"I have to leave first? Aren't I supposed to sneak out or something so I don't get in trouble?"

Neji snorted lightly, acknowledging her humor.

"We both know that I will open this door and my mother will make you a cup of tea and ask you to stay for dinner. And then she will scold me for having you in my room."

* * *

Tenten yawned and tucked the last scroll in her bag. Her eyes were still narrow and fuzzy with sleep and she stumbled gracelessly around her room making sure she had everything she needed. She had left the light off, hoping to avoid the harsh attack on her senses.

Tenten heard a light rap on glass and looked up. As quickly as Neji had announced his presence, he had slid open the door to her balcony and entered the room Tenten was suddenly awake.

"Neji, what are you doing here?"

He shrugged and leaned against the wall.

"I had some extra time and thought I'd see if you were still home."

"Well, here I am." She held her arms out to allow him to take in the sleepy mess that was his teammate. "I just need a few more..." she trailed off and Neji glanced over at her, concerned. He heard a curse under her breath and he straightened up.

Quickly she was at his side, pushing him towards her closet.

"What are you doing?" he hissed.

"My father's coming."

"So?"

"He will kill you if he finds you in here."

Neji looked flustered but allowed Tenten to move him.

"It's not like we're doing anything..."

Tenten paused and looked up at him, hands on her hips.

"Would you like to be the one to explain that to him?"

Neji frowned.

"Then get in the closet." Tenten slid the door open and pushed him in roughly before sliding it shut.

Neji thought it was completely unnecessary and rather annoying. Although it was still better than the alternative.

Neji looked around the dark closet, listening passively to the muffled conversation at Tenten's door.

"No, dad, it's just me."

Neji frowned as his eyes quickly adjusted to the dark.

"I thought I heard voices."

"You know I talk to myself when I pack."

The contents of Tenten's closet came into focus.

"I thought I heard a boy."

She had only a few articles of clothing and a pair of boots.

"No, it's just me," her closet was stuffed to the gills with weapons, "I promise."

"Alright, sweetheart. Be safe on your mission."

She had shoved him in there. Didn't she realize she could have pushed him into one of the many swords?

"Of course dad."

Neji prepared himself for his release from his tiny, sharp prison.

After a couple minutes the door slid halfway open. Neji met Tenten with crossed arms and a glare.

"There are weapons in here," he whispered.

"I know that, Neji, it's my closet," she retorted, matching his volume.

"You could have been a bit more careful then."

"You're a jonin, Neji, I figured you could handle it." She raised her finger up at him. "Besides, you almost got us in a lot of trouble."

"Hn."

"Your shoes are on the balcony, what if my father had seen them?"

"Then we would have told him that I came to pick you up for our mission."

"Neji, it's 4AM and you're hiding in my closet."

"Because you shoved me in here."

Tenten ran her fingers through her bangs and sighed. She was tired and it was too early to argue.

"Just wait for me outside," she urged, "I'll be down in a minute."

Neji nodded and stepped out of the closet. Tenten escorted him to the balcony and slid the door open as quietly as she could. Neji stepped over the threshold and slipped on his shoes.

When he rose, he turned and looked at Tenten, leaning in a little, brows furrowed in thought. Before Tenten could read his expression, he cupped his hand on the back of her neck and pulled her in close.

"Neji, what are you-"

His lips were soft against her own and her breath caught in her throat with the rest of her question. Although completely unexpected, Tenten enjoyed the way their bodies connected and when he pulled away she thought that it ended much too soon.

Her heart beat wildly in her chest and Neji looked down at her, a smirk on his lips.

"If I have hide in closets from your father, it might as well be for something worth the risk."

* * *

**A/N: **This was me toying with the idea that they have parents. Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for the read and review!


	15. Illusion

_So, I wrote this a week or two before Road To Tenten aired... kind of my take on what I wanted to happen. I can't believe I never posted it! Oh man! Well, enjoy!_

* * *

**15 - Illusion**

Tenten's throat was tight. Her eyes had to be deceiving her.

He was right there. Right in front of her.

Suddenly the afternoon sun was too high and the streets were too crowded. The loud cries and laughs peaking over dozens of conversations were overwhelming.

For a moment she just watched, frozen, as he chatted with Hinata. She didn't think it was real. It couldn't be real. Her head spun.

She stumbled once before she ran, tearing through through the mass of people. She called to him. Her voice cracked and the effort hurt her throat.

She saw him turn towards the sound of his name and her heart soared at the sight of his smile.

She stretched her arms out and flung herself at him. He grunted when they collided. She hugged him with an overwhelming sense of desperation.

Tenten pulled back abruptly and cupped his face in her hands, finding her voice.

"Neji!" She felt a lump grow in her throat. "I-Is it really you?"

He glanced down at her with a skeptical eyebrow raised.

"Of course, Tenten."

She felt his hand on hers and she released his face. She hugged him again, hiding her face in the crook of his neck.

Tenten was still confused but he was here. She could see him, smell him, she was hugging him.

"Is everything alright?"

She could hear his voice. It was low and calm and sent chills down her spine. Tenten pulled back and looked up at him again.

"You're okay. Oh, God, Neji, you're okay!"

"Is there any reason why I wouldn't be?"

"The war!" Tenten caught herself and lowered her voice. "I thought you… I mean… I saw you…" The word died was stuck in her throat and she was certain it would only manifest with tears.

Neji looked confused and she tried again.

"The war, Neji. I was just there… on the battlefield…"

"Tenten, there hasn't been a war."

"W-what?" Her head ached. She was confused. She pressed her head into his shoulder and felt a sudden burst of frustration. A small sob burst through her lips and her eyes stung.

She felt like a child, blubbering in the middle of the street. She wanted to be alone, away from the prying eyes of the crowd around them. Her tears frustrated her even further and she groaned, feeling a tantrum brew.

She felt herself held a little closer and tried to relax into the warmth that was Hyuuga Neji. She heard him suggest finding privacy but how he managed to disentangle from her to lead her back home was a blur.

"Perhaps it was just a bad dream."

Tenten shrugged and studied the mug between her hands. Neji had prepared them each a cup of tea. It was sweet and soothing on her tongue. But the most relaxing part had really been watching him, alive, in her kitchen preparing the drink.

"Maybe. It felt too real though."

"Genjutsu?"

She shook her head.

"That was my first thought... But I tried releasing it already and it didn't work."

"Then," Neji paused, "do you think this is a dream?"

She shrugged her shoulders.

"I guess it's possible..."

Tenten sighed and stood up, needing to stretch her legs. She paced around the small kitchen a few times in a futile attempt to burn off nervous energy. She felt his gaze on her the whole time. It was so familiar and comforting. Every piece of her life seemed in place.

It all felt so real.

"Come over here," Neji instructed.

Tenten returned to the table and sat back down. Neji held out his hand and she accepted it. She watched as he pulled her hand towards him. With his free hand he gently pinched her wrist.

She winced.

"Ouch, Neji, damn it!" Tenten pulled away and massaged the spot. She glared at him. "That hurt."

"Looks like it's not a dream."

She rolled her eyes and he chuckled.

"Maybe I've been transported to another dimension," she murmured, still massaging where she had been pinched.

"Maybe," Neji said.

But he didn't add anymore. There was little left to say. They had already talked in circles for hours and he had comforted her while she cried and let her cling to him while she recounted the gruesome way his life had ended.

Tenten saw him glance at the clock. She leaned in and gripped his wrist. Neji looked back at her.

"Please don't leave." She watched him, wide eyed with frayed nerves. "Please," she pleaded, "I thought…"

What did she think? She thought he'd died. But he did, didn't he? Tenten shook her head. She didn't know what was real anymore. The only thing that she knew for certain was that if she let him leave, she might never see him again.

She rose to her feet and leaned over him, clutching his wrist tighter. Her chest ached and she followed his gaze as he stood as well.

His hands found her waist and Tenten rested her hands on his shoulders. He leaned in and pressed his forehead against hers, rocking them gently.

"Stay," she murmured. She closed her eyes. She was overwhelmed and tired.

"Of course," Neji said.

Tenten's heart fluttered. She felt him hold her tighter. Her fingers traced up his neck and into his hair.

"Neji," her voice wavered briefly.

She parted her lips and Neji caught them with his own. Their kiss was languid and unyielding.

Never before had she expected to find herself so utterly consumed by him. And she realized that perhaps it was all she had ever wanted.

* * *

**A/N:** Hope you guys enjoyed this! As always, thank you for your support!


	16. Anahata

Notes:  
For NejiTen Month.  
_Anahata:_ _The heart chakra.  
Instead of calling it the heart chakra, I refer to it by it's sanskrit name. Why? Because Kishi refers to energy as chakra, when chakras are actually more like the tenketsu points and I wanted to avoid confusion. Read more at the bottom if you're curious. :D  
Takes place during the first chunin exams, so they're 14._  
_Cold fingers are a sign of poor circulation, which is a symptom of an unbalanced heart chakra.  
Mudras are hand gestures used often in meditation. Dhayana mudra is often used while attempting to attain enlightenment. Gyan mudra is often used for attaining knowledge and wisdom, but it is also one of the many mudra that can be used to help balance the heart chakra._

* * *

**i.**

"Your fingers are like icicles."

Tenten had felt them, briefly, against her own when she'd passed him some water.

Neji acknowledged her comment with a shrug and drank.

They had found a secluded space in the Forest of Death and agreed to meet in an hour. They were waiting on Lee.

Tenten touched his arm. It was warm.

"That's a sign of poor circulation," she added.

"I'm fine."

Neji put down his mug and shifted into his meditative seat. He cupped his hands in his lap, one over the other, and closed his eyes.

Tenten watched him, letting her eyes fall on his hands. A couple of minutes passed in silence.

"Neji?"

"Hm?"

"Do you always use the dhyana mudra?"

Neji took a moment to ponder her question, eyes still closed, body still.

"Yes."

Tenten traced her thumb over the lip of her mug. It was a conversation that she'd been debating for a while, but as she noticed more and more, the compulsion to speak up had grown.

"What about gyan mudra?"

"What about it?"

"Have you ever considered it?" Her thumb ran over the lip of her mug again. "Practicing it, I mean."

"Gyan mudra is of no use to me at this time."

It was the answer she'd expected.

"I disagree."

Neji opened his eyes. Tenten seldom disagreed with him and never before had she questioned his practice - as if she knew more than him. Neji found it irritating.

Tenten did not flinch or look away when Neji glared. She simply elaborated.

"I think your anahata is unbalanced."

"My anahata and the rest of my tenketsu are fine, Tenten."

She shook her head.

"I think it's under-active."

Silence settled between them. Tenten pinched a piece of grass between her fingers and tugged at it. Tension settled between them, as both knew that her observation was about more than chakra flow. She found the slight distraction the grass provided to be soothing.

"You think I lack compassion."

"I didn't say that."

"Not outright."

Tenten broke his gaze, but Neji's eyes never left her.

"I just worry..." She plucked a piece of grass and wound it around her fingers. "That you're not as happy as you could be."

"I do not think you understand my station in life well enough to make those kinds of observations, Tenten."

"I know about-"

"But you don't understand."

"I try!" She balled her hands into fists and dug her nails into her palms. The pain kept tears at bay. Tenten had thought they were close, but Neji reminded her of the distance he kept between them.

The leaves rustled in the trees. Lee was nearby. Tenten pushed herself to her feet and turned her back to her partner.

"The world is not always so black and white, Neji."

ii.

Tenten laid on the cot, arm slung over her eyes, crying.

Her match had been a joke.

Her back protested with each movement.

The T7 vertebrae was roughly where she'd been injured... At least that's what the medics had told her. Nothing was broken or out of place, but there was apparently a large bruise on her back.

She'd been offered pain medication, something that would numb the nerves and help her sleep. But Tenten had refused. The pain, she thought, was a fair punishment and settled for a cold compress on her back.

Besides, the exams had been exhausting and Tenten had spent what little energy remained weeping.

The sounds of doctors outside her room, the beeps of machines, and the hum of energy buzzing was like white noise to Tenten.

She was on the verge of sleep when the tone outside of her room shifted dramatically.

_"She's coding!" _

_"Someone get a crash cart NOW!"_

_"Where's Mogusa?"_

_"Starting CPR!"_

Tenten's eyes snapped open. Her heart pounded as the chaotic sounds faded down the hall. Only when it had been quite for several minutes did she let herself fall asleep again.

When she woke up Neji was at her side.

It had been the click of the door as he closed it that had roused her. The sound of his shoes on the tile filled her ears. When he reached the edge of her bed their eyes met.

"How are you feeling?"

"A little sore," she admitted, "but nothing serious."

Tenten looked up at the ceiling tile briefly.

"If Lee isn't with you then he must be hurt as well."

"His leg is broken," said Neji, "he fought that guy from Suna, Gaara."

"Is he okay?"

"I haven't been to see him."

He sat on the edge of her bed. He looked no more fatigued than when they had emerged from the forest of death. Naturally his fight must have been a breeze.

"Who did you have to fight?"

Neji looked away from her and, instead, studied her hitai-ate on the table next to them.

"Hinata-sama."

Panic surged through Tenten. She remembered the chaos outside of her door and sat up abruptly.

She winced. Neji helped her sit up, careful of where he placed his hand on her back.

She pushed him away.

"Tenten you should be careful. Your back-"

"How can you be gentle with me?"

Neji furrowed his brows.

"I don't understand-"

"You could have killed her!"

"I gave her the option of forfeiting."

"That doesn't make it okay, Neji."

Tenten shifted her weight and propped herself against the wall.

"She is your cousin. She never did anything to you."

"Tenten-"

"Hinata did not hurt you. She has only ever been kind. You are angry at her father and the elders, but that does not give you the right to drag her into this."

Neji stood up. His shoulders were tense and his fists were clenched at his side. Tenten waited until he reached the door. He turned the handle and pulled it open.

"I only have a bruise," she said, "Hinata's wellbeing should be more important to you than mine."

The door clicked shut behind him and Tenten laid back down.

iii.

The next time they resumed their discussion was after the final exam.

Tenten found Neji in a recovery room perched on the edge of his cot, an open scroll on his lap.

"Neji?"

He looked up from the scroll and offered her a halfhearted smile.

"How are you feeling?"

She took stock of any injuries as she crossed the room. He looked well enough, but would certainly be sore.

"I'll be fine."

"Good."

"You were right."

Tenten furrowed her brow.

"Right? About what?"

"My anahata."

He scooped up the scroll and held it out to her. Tenten took the scroll and read. She sniffled a little as she read. Neji looked up and realized that she was crying.

He stood up as she rolled the scroll closed. She placed it down on the cot and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Neji stiffened. She had never hugged him before and it was certainly never something he would have initiated. But she was comfortable and grounding so he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.

Of course, his attitude had been due to more than just a teketsu and they both knew that. Even still... Losing to Naruto... His father's letter... The way Tenten had cried and then embraced him, seeking to comfort _him_... He felt warmth spread from his chest.

It would still take time, the pain would never truly fade, but Tenten had helped him realize that, perhaps, he could find balance.

* * *

**Notes:**

The heart chakra is the 4th chakra. It is located (you guessed it) behind the heart. The heart chakra is the middle chakra. It connects the lower (physical) chakras to the higher (spiritual) chakras. The color associated with the heart chakra is green and the sound is "yam."When someone has an under-active heart chakra they tend to have a fairly negative outlook on life and hold onto anger, depression, and other negative emotions. An over-active heart chakra leads to being over-sensitive and letting your emotions run rampant. Someone who has a well-balanced heart chakra has a lot of compassion for both themselves and all living creatures. The heart chakra is about love for others, but more importantly about loving yourself, which is a difficult feat for most people.

If your heart chakra is out of whack you can also have some physical symptoms. Since chakras are tied to organs, you could have issues with corresponding organs. People with unbalanced heart chakras may experience heart related problems such as palpitations and poor circulation. I gave Neji poor circulation for Tenten to pick up on as a jumping point into the conversation.

Several months ago I did some research on mudras and concluded that Neji likes to practice dhyana mudra, which is the mudra of meditation and enlightenment. It's the mudra you use when you wanna get serious. In this piece Tenten is concerned about Neji's attitude towards life and the resentment he holds onto towards his clan. Instead of outright saying "hey, you're being a dick," she opts for a more subtle approach by suggesting that he may have an imbalance and that he should practice a different mudra.

Gayan mudra is used for a lot of things, but it is mainly known as the mudra of knowledge. The index finger touches the thumb. The index finger represents the element air. The heart chakra is also an air element, so you can use the gayan mudra (and many other mudras) to balance your heart chakra. Practicing this mudra can help with concentration, but also helps reduce stress, anger and depression. So, basically Tenten is trying to tell Neji that he needs to let go and start to heal.

_Meridian/Qi/Pressure Points: Chinese  
Nadis/Prana/Chakras: Indian_  
Ok, so, the chakra network system is actually based on meridians or nadis. For those of you who don't know what those are, meridians/nadis are basically the channels that your energy/life force are believed to travel through. It's a lot like the cardiovascular system, but invisible to the human eye. Along your meridians you have pressure points (or chakras). Through these flow your life force, or qi or prana. In Indian text there are said to be at least 72,000 nadis within the human body. Physical and mental ailments are said to be caused by a blockage. To release these blockages people use acupuncture, yoga, massage, etc... The pressure points are what Kishi refers to the tenketsu that the gentle fist style targets. I'm sure everyone has heard of the seven chakras... but there are waaaaay more than just seven! Those are just the seven major chakras and they run along our spine. Acupuncture has about 360 points, give or take. In naruto there are 361 tenketsu points.

So, tl;dr - the chakra network system is based off of the meridian system used in acupuncture.

Chakras are the pressure points throughout the system. Why kishi chose to use chakra (which is not the life force energy, but nodes of energy) for Naruto, I'm not sure, but what Kishi refers to as chakra is more like Qi (or chi).

**Let me know what you thought! :D**


	17. Premonition

**Premonition**

Tenten leaned back against the large oak that she and Neji sat under. It was a warm spring day. The sun sat high and a light breeze ruffled the leaves above them.

"I'm hungry. Did you bring anything?"

"I did." Neji opened his bag and produced a pomegranate.

Tenten eyed the fruit and sat up. Pomegranates were not native to Konoha.

"Where did you get that?"

Neji sunk a kunai into the side and began to cut it open.

"Naruto brought them back from a mission. He gave a bunch to Hinata-sama."

"That's weird."

Neji paused and looked over to Tenten.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, last night I had a dream. We were sitting under this exact tree, except it was a pomegranate tree." She looked up at the leaves and stretched her arms out to either side. "There were pomegranates everywhere. And you were cutting one open... And then you gave it to me."

Neji handed her half of the fruit. Tenten looked down at the red seeds, swollen with juice and pulp.

"A premonition?"

Tenten chuckled and plucked a seed.

"Apparently."

"Do pomegranates represent anything?"

Tenten pondered as she ate more seeds. They burst between her teeth and filled her mouth with the sweet flavor.

"I'm not sure. I've never read about pomegranates before."

"Did anything else happen in your dream?"

"Nothing unusual." Tenten laughed, remembering part of her dream. "You tried feeding me seeds, but it was messy so we made out instead."

Neji held a seed out in front of her lips.

"No sense in wasting a good premonition."

Tenten laughed again before she let him press the seed between her lips. She had barely swallowed it before Neji cupped her face and pulled her in for a kiss.

The sweep of his tongue against hers made her whimper.

They set to reenact the rest of her dream, with roaming fingers, soft gasps and the taste of pomegranate on their tongues.

They kissed until they heard Lee and Gai approaching. Tenten curled against him and he held her against him.

She looked down at her dress. It was stained red from her half of the pomegranate.

"Damn. Hopefully I can get this stain out."

Neji eyed the splotch and traced his fingers over the hem of her skirt.

"As long as you get it in the wash soon enough, it should be fine."

They snuck in one last kiss as the other half of Team Gai approached.

Neji recognized the look Gai gave him... It was the same look he often gave Naruto around Hinata.

It was a look that Neji had not been on the receiving end of since he and Tenten had first started dating.

He shot back a curious look, unsure of what he'd done.

"Are we interrupting?"

"No, Gai-sensei," said Tenten, "we just finished training and are having a snack."

"Pomegranate? A difficult fruit to come by."

"Neji brought it, would you guys like some?"

"I would love some!" Lee plopped down next to Tenten and she handed him her half.

Gai sat down across form them and Lee pushed the fruit into his hand, his mouth full and juice dribbling down his chin. Gai studied the seeds before helping himself.

"I was just telling Neji that just last night I had a dream that he brought me a pomegranate, but I'm not sure what pomegranates represent. You wouldn't know, would you Gai-sensei?"

When Gai answered he looked at Neji.

"Well, traditionally, pomegranates are a symbol of fertility."

Tenten blushed and her stomach fluttered. If Neji felt the same embarrassment he masked it well and redirected it into anger.

"Naruto gave a basket of these to Hinata-sama."

"I don't believe for a second," said Tenten, "that he knew."

But her mind was elsewhere, analyzing her dream. They had been surrounded by the fruit and completely alone. Needless to say, they had gone much further than just kissing, as they often did in the waking world.

She felt anxious and ran her fingers over her stomach.

But it was just a dream, and pomegranates were just a fruit... Weren't they?

* * *

**A/N:** Hope you enjoyed! Just a little fun with dreams and symbolism. Is Tenten pregnant? That's up to you! Please let me know your thoughts on this short!


	18. Against the odds

**A/N:** This is for Giada Luna, who always seems to be on the same wavelength as me. Haha. She wrote something very similar to this a couple weeks ago and it reminded me that I've been sitting on this piece for months, so I decided to finish it up. Check out her fics. :)

* * *

**18\. Against the odds**

The world before Neji was a gloomy wash of grey and brown. The earth under his feet was little more than dirt and mud and grey clouds hung low in the sky.

He thought he heard the rumble of thunder in the distance, but it could have just as easily been the sound of someone else meeting their demise.

He was tired; perhaps more tired than he'd ever been in his life.

And even though he wanted nothing more than to lay back in his bed and sleep, he'd pressed on.

But the urge to run and hide had grown so suddenly and exponentially that it made the murky battlefield before him spin.

Neji was terrified.

His brain was screaming at him to run, but his feet stayed rooted to the earth.

The possibility of dying had been in the back of his mind and he cursed his arrogance for not considering that he might not see the end of the war.

His ego had forced him to wait until the final moment to come to terms with his own mortality.

It was funny the way things seemed to slow down around him. His arms felt heavy stretched as wide as he could reach.

Neji could still run, if he forced himself to. He could easily twist away and live.

But Hinata was behind him, shielding Naruto. It was his job to protect her.

And whether his sacrifice came from the constant reminder from his clan that Hinata's life was more important than his own, or that he had grown to love the cousin he once resented, Neji wasn't sure. What he did know was that he was doing his duty; protecting Hinata and Naruto.

After all, when someone else was capable of ending a war, the sacrifice of his own life had been an easy decision. Hinata had made it, and so had he.

It didn't make the prospect of dying any less terrifying though.

The stakes above them were menacing. He wondered if it would hurt, or if the shock would numb him into death. He wondered if he should close his eyes or watch for the impact.

Neji decided that he would close his eyes.

His byakugan receded and the landscape faded from brown to black. Neji tried to recall a pleasant memory.

It was about Tenten; all his best ones were. Her warm smile and comfortable aura enveloped him as she laughed at a long forgotten joke. The pulse of her aura was almost overwhelming and even though he should have felt at peace, Neji couldn't help but think that something was off.

He opened his eyes and panicked.

Tenten stood in front of him. Her stance was wide and she gripped a large fan tight in her hands. His byakugan reactivated almost reflexively and his mind spun trying to process what was happening.

She hadn't been a part of his plan. She wasn't supposed to be there; to get hurt. Tenten was never supposed to die, not for him.

"No!"

When Neji shouted, it was involuntary. His arms reached out to her, but to do what, he wasn't sure. There wasn't enough time to push her away, to save her.

The stakes that should have marked his end rocketed towards them. His attention flicked back to Tenten's fan. He watched her pool her chakra into her hands and push it into the fan.

She cried out and swung, sending a gust ripping across the battlefield.

The stakes sunk into the ground with a sickening 'thunk' that made Neji's stomach turn.

He thought he would be sick from the speed with which relief flooded through him. The stakes had missed their target by a good six feet.

Before him stood Tenten, unmarked and unhurt. But she'd used most of her chakra and she trembled before him.

Her grip on the fan slackened and it fell from her fingers. Her knees wobbled but Neji was at her side, holding her up. She gave him a weary smile and he pulled her tighter against him when her legs wobbled again.

The weight of her head on his chest was undoubtably the most comforting feeling he'd ever experienced.

"Neji, you're okay." Her voice was heavy and sleepy and muffled in the folds of his vest. With his free hand, he fished a solider pill from his pocket and pressed it to her lips. She swallowed it and mumbled her thanks.

"Why did you do that?"

Tenten looked up at him, the color already returning to her face.

"Because I didn't want you to leave me."

A dozen thoughts and emotions ran through him all at once, but he didn't have time to organize them. Naruto and Hinata were at their side, frantically assessing their wellbeing.

Tenten acknowledged them both but kept her attention on Neji.

"Did you really think I'd let you leave me here alone with Lee and Gai-sensei?"

Neji smiled.

"No, I suppose I didn't consider that."

"Well next time don't be such a selfish jerk," she teased.

He was about to retort when she gasped. Naruto had rested his hand on her shoulder. It glowed bright yellow with energy. Neji watched with fascination as Naruto shared his own chakra with Tenten, much the same way a medic would.

Neji felt warmth spread from Tenten into him. His body tingled with renewed strength. It was unlike any medical jutsu he'd experienced before, Naruto's energy was something uniquely whole and pure. Neji held his hand out to Hinata. She glanced at it, apprehensive at first, but then accepted it. He squeezed tightly and watched the surprise on his cousin's face as Naruto's chakra passed onto her.

He looked back down to Tenten. She stood a little taller, knees no longer weak. She was glowing, the color back in her skin, eyes half lidded and a smile on her lips. Unable to help himself, Neji dipped his head low. She opened her eyes to look up at him and he kissed her. She grew an inch taller when she gripped his vest and pushed up onto her toes.

The bright warmth of Naruto's chakra ebbed and slowed as he pulled away from them. Neji pulled his hand from Hinata's and cupped Tenten's face. He held her closer, kissed her deeper and tasted the sweetness of her mouth.

She sighed against him and it was nearly impossible to pull away, even as others began to gather around them. But they had to breathe and reluctantly parted.

With the moment over, others descended on them, some praising Tenten's bravery, others clapping Neji on the back.

Tenten met his gaze, cheeks tinted pink.

And then Naruto was between them, his hands clutched tightly around Tenten's as he bounced on the balls of his feet.

"Tenten! I can't believe you did that! That was incredible!"

She pulled back, but only managed to free one hand from Naruto's eager grasp.

It brushed against Neji's and he laced his fingers with her own, giving her a reassuring squeeze.

"I didn't really do anything special…"

"Are you kidding?! You saved us all!"

Tenten stumbled awkwardly through Naruto's praise, clearly overwhelmed by the entire ordeal. Behind Naruto stood Hinata, eyes downcast. Neji frowned.

"It wasn't just Tenten, you know," he said.

Naruto looked up at him and Neji continued.

"We were all willing to protect you. Hinata-sama was willing to die for you." Naruto looked up at Hinata, who blushed. "I couldn't let that happen," Neji said.

Naruto relinquished Tenten's hand for Hinata's. He smiled down at her and thanked her.

"I can't let any of you sacrifice yourselves for me," Naruto said. "But it's good to know that I'm not alone."

* * *

Tenten sat back in the dirt, running her fingers over the handle of the fan.

"Everyone thinks I'm some sort of hero or something."

Neji detected the heaviness behind her words. He leaned in and coaxed her to rest her head on his shoulder.

"You did save us."

She shrugged her shoulders.

"I wasn't thinking about them," she scooted closer. "I was thinking about you and the fact that I was going to lose you." Tenten fidgeted with the weapon. "I wasn't being brave or heroic. I was being selfish."

Neji placed his hand on her lower back and drew lazy circles through her shirt.

"It's okay to be selfish when facing death."

"It feels wrong."

"Do you regret what you did?"

Tenten sat up and looked at him with wide eyes.

"Of course not! I just…" she trailed off, but he understood. The emotions were difficult to process and it would take time for them to find the right words to articulate the terrifying memories. Already, there were blank spots in his own memory as his brain tried to tuck away the trauma.

He leaned in and kissed her softly. Truthfully, he was glad she had been selfish. And perhaps it was selfish of him, but in that moment the only thing in the world that mattered was having her at his side.

* * *

**A/N: **I'm not super sure how much time passed between scenes. But considering a war was fought in like 3 days, I don't think it much matters if it was 2 hours or 20 minutes later. lol. As always, thank you for reading and reviewing!


	19. Ritual

**A/N:** I'm alive. Here's a short piece, post-war.

* * *

**Ritual**

Tenten's eyes snapped open. She took in a deep breath and stared up at the bunk above her own. Her nerves were frayed, her palms clammy. The corners of her eyes were wet.

Her body moved on it's own - pulling back the blankets and swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. She sat up, hesitated for only a moment, and crossed the room.

Tenten knelt down and placed her hand on Neji's shoulder. She gently shook him. Neji took a deep breath and pulled back the blankets, still half asleep. Tenten crawled under the blankets and relaxed into the sleepy warmth of her teammate. His arm fell across her waist, trapping her against him. She pushed the hair out of his face and traced her fingers along his forehead, trying to make out the seal. He pulled her hand away and held her snugly against his chest.

"It's still there," he mumbled.

It was their ritual.

He rested his chin on top of her head and stroked her hair as she ran her fingers over the scar on his chest.

Sometimes she cried, other times she didn't. Eventually she would fall back asleep.

They never discussed it. To discuss her nightmares was to discuss the war.

Neji took to his new role without question. It had been clear from the start that he was the source of her nightmares. To refuse anything less than absolute comfort would have been cruel.

They were not dating and there was nothing romantic about the nights they spent together.

In the morning Neji would worry about the increasing frequency with which Tenten found her way into his bed, but in the moment he would focus on the pattern of her breath, waiting for it to slow and deepen with sleep.


End file.
